In Plain Sight
by angelique-anja
Summary: Sequel to Stange Happenings. Some things are right before their very eyes... Can they find the clues before it's too late? Part 11: Can Jack mend things with Joey? And Where's Astra gone? Can Jack find a way to bring her home?
1. A Night Out

A/N: Set a year after the events of Strange Happenings. Our favorite team is back! ^_^ This is just an intro before the real story starts. It is highly recomended that you read Strange Happenings before reading this one, it will help explain Astra's character and Jack's relationship with her.

**A Night Out**

The team was gathered around a large table at a local bar. Jack was sitting with Ianto, his hand hiding under the table. The uncomfortable but pleased look on Ianto's face gave them all an idea of here Jack's hand was. Astra was sitting with Rhiley, the two having since gotten back together. His arm was wrapped protectively around her. Gwen was laughing about something with Rhys. They were waiting for Taye to show up. He apparently had something important to tell them.

Smeone came up behind them, "How about a dinking competition?"

Jack looked round, "John, what are you doing here?"

John pulled a chair from the table next to them and sat down with them, "You all go to the pub and you don't invite me?"

Astra laughed, "Seriously John, what are you doing here?"

"What's a party without me? Now, how about that drinking contest?"

Jack shook his head and everyone but John, Rhiley and Astra looked confused. Jack never turned down a drinking contest. Never. He looked at his team, "Don't look at me like that! I am never, ever taking that woman on in a drinking contest and you can't make me!" He said pointing to Astra.

John and Rhiley laughed as Astra just smiled, "Scared of losing Jack?"

"Scared? Nah! Positive that I'll lose? Yeah!"

"I remember the last drinking contest you two had!" Rhiley started. Jack shot a glare towards him, but it didn't stop him, "I don't work for you Jack, you can't stop me! Anyway, they had about, ooh, how many hyper vodkas?"

"He had four, dropped the fifth," Astra replied, "I believe I made it to six and after that, John chikened out of going next!"

John coughed, "I didn't want to exploit your already weakened state from six of them..." He said, trying to keep his tone flat, but failed miserably.

"Oh? I wasn't even tipsy!"

"How long ago was this?" Gwen asked.

"Depends who you ask," Jack said, "Me, it's been over a hundred years. Astra, John and Rhiley, what? Sixteen years?" They nodded in agreement.

"You lot are positively mad, you know that right?" Rhys asked, "You're discussing a drinking competition that happened in another place and time and you can't even decide how long it's been!"

Astra shrugged, "Well, if you want technicalities, then it hasn't even happened yet!" Rhys groaned as the others laughed.

"Did we miss something?" Taye asked them as he walked up to the table, his arm was wrapped around the waist of a young woman, with short brown hair, that fell just above her shoulders.

"Nothing at all, Taye," Ianto laughed, "That lot are just at it again with picking on each other."

Gwen looked at Astra who looked at the woman with Taye, "So..." Gwen started.

"Ah, yes," He looked at the woman beside him and smiled, "This is Kim." Astra, Gwen and Ianto looked intersted, remembering when Taye had told them about Kim. He had obviously taken Ianto's advice to heart because here he was with her again. Taye continues, "Kim, these are my team mates, Gwen, Astra, Ianto. My boss Jack, Gwen's husband Rhys, Astra's boyfriend Rhiley... and John... For some reason."

"Nice to meet you all!" Kim said as Taye found two extra chairs and placed them around the table.

"So that's a no on the drinking contest?" John asked.

"It's a no, John!" Jack repeated, earning himself a knowing smirk from Astra.

"Ok, what did we miss?" Taye asked.

"John wants a drinking contest, Jack doesnt because he's scared of Astra," Rhiley summed up.

Kim looked at Jack. He was a large handsome man, then she looked at Astra, she was a small petit, good looking woman, "He's scared of her? Umm..." She looked at Taye. They were both medics, who knew the likliness of who would win.

Taye shrugged, but Rhiley stepped in, "I was there. She can drink him under the table!"

"Yeah and taking her on was a ploy so he didn't have to pay!" John added, "She won so she had to pay, huh Jack?"

Jack leaned against Ianto, his face blushing slightly, "You figured that out huh?"

They nodded, "I believe you still owe me ninety-two credits!" Astra whispered to him.

Jack frowned, then smiled, "Next round is on me!" He stood up and moved away from the table. Those three were going to be the death of him, over and over. Ianto and Gwen were able to drag any old stories they wanted about young Jack out of Astra and Rhiley. Then John would come along an throw in the embarresing ones. He sighed and ordered a round of drinks for the table. At least conversation would be normal now. No stories of bad teleports or alien meetings. That was good.

He made his way back to the table with the tray of drinks and handed them out to the group, he smiled his charm smile at Kim, "Enchante!"

She blushed as she took her drink from him. Taye gave Jack a playful punch, "Watch it Captain!"

"You're a military man?" Kim asked, interested.

He nodded, "RAF."

"Very interesting," She replied.

Jack sat back down beside Ianto and Taye stood up before anyone could take a drink, "Umm, I'd like to make an announcement..."

All eyes turned to him, "Some of you know that Kim and I were an item, back when I was in the Corps. Well..." He looked down at his drink then at Kim, who smiled at him, "We got back together aout six months ago! And, I asked Kim to marry me today!"

They looked to Kim expetantly, who held up her hand. A ring occupied her ring finger, with a small diamond, so that she could still wear it at work, but it was decorated with small emeralds and saphires, "I said yes!"

Gwen, Ianto and Astra, who knew the story of the two, got up and hugged the happy couple.

"You're alright not knowing what we do?" Jack asked Kim, once they'd all sat down again.

She nodded, "I grew up in a military family Captain-"

"Please, Jack."

She nodded, "Jack, my father was always apart of missions he couldn't tell myself and my mother about and as long as Taye comes home to me at night, then we're fine."

"You've got yourself one fine woman there Taye," Jack said with a smile.

Rhiley was fingering something in his jacket. He'd meant to ask years ago, the day he'd lost her to be precise. But when he'd found her she'd been under attack and then she'd been hurt and scared. He never got the chance. He'd carried the ring with him always. Several times he'd needed money to get by, but he never once thought of pawning the ring. Never. She'd promised that she'd come back to him. Since meeting with her again, he hadn't had the nerve to ask. She was different from Romi. He knew that they were the same person, but her mannerisms were different, the things she liked were different. He watched her with the Torchwood group. She fitted in there and with Jack. They had something in common. They'd both live forever... He often woundered about the Doctor. The only other of her kind. She was the only female and he was the only male. Was he doing something wrong taking her away from him?

His thoughts were interupted by Astra though, "Dance with me!" She said, taking his hand and dragging him to the floor. He glanced back to the table, almost everyone had someone to dance with. Taye, with his fiance Kim. Jack with Ianto. Gwen with Rhys. The only one left alone was John, but if he knew John and he was pretty sure he did. He'd soon find some hot twins or something to dance with.

John watched Team Torchwood for a while. He didn't mind them anymore. And he rather regretted the incident when he'd first met Astra, how he'd pointed a gun at her. She'd taken care of him swiftly there and that was without remembering that she could fight. He'd been lucky, really. He looked away from them and spotted a pair of girls by the bar, "Oh my lucky day!" He said to himself, then went to sweep the twins off their feet and into his arms. As he started to walk away from the table though, something beeped. He paused but it beeped again. It was coming from Astra's jacket.

"Astra?" He called.

She looked to him, "Yeah John?"

"Something's beeping."

She groaned into Rhiley's shoulder, then pulled away from him, "I'll be right back," She said. She went to the table and grabbed her PDA. She groaned again.

Rhiley, who'd followed her looked at her confused, "What is it?"

"Rift activity," She muttered. She rounded up Jack, Ianto and Gwen. They decided to leave Taye with his new fiance for the evening. Gwen kissed Rhys quickly, apologising to him. She also asked him to tell Taye when he came back to the table. John went off on his seduce the twins mission and Rhiley hugged Astra close. She looked up at him and smiled. He knew that smile. It wasn't the same smile as he'd fallen in love with originally, but he had fallen in love with that smile over the past year. He leaned down and kissed her gently.

"Be careful," He whispered to her.

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Jack jumped into the drivers seat of the SUV, Gwen beside him riding shotgun. Astra got in behind the computers and Ianto beside her. He took started the engine, "Directions Astra?"

"Hang on a minute!" She typed away at the computer in the back seat. Jack started to speak again, but she snapped at him, "Wait!" Gwen tried not to laugh as Jack shut his mouth again, alomst like a fish, "North Cardiff. I'm narrowing it down now."

Jack drove towards North Cardiff and as the drove Ianto asked, "Did anyone know that Taye got back together with Kim?"

"I never knew that he had been together with Kim," Jack said

"No, that's because you didn't come with us to the pub that night," Astra retorted, "And no Ianto, I didn't know, you Gwen?"

Gwen shook her head, "No. I mean, sure he's been happier recently, but I never figured he was dating Kim... Again..."

"What's the deal with Kim anyway?" Jack asked.

"They dated while he was in the Corps, but they broke it off when they got assigned to the same ship," Ianto explained.

"There's an exceptinon to the rule though," Jack started.

"She said no," Astra cut in.

"Oh..." Jack replied.

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

When they reached North Cardiff Jack didn't even have to ask where to go. The alien ship could be seen as plain as day. It was sitting there in plain sight. Astra and Jack groaned, "Sycorax!"

"What?" Gwen asked.

"Who?" Ianto seconded.

"Only the stupidest looking race in the universe!" Jack muttered.

"I don't think I've ever seen one..." Gwen said as Jack slowed the SUV.

"I might of seen a picture in the archives..." Ianto pondered.

Astra laughed, "Pictures don't do these things justice, Ianto."

"This thing is bloody big!" Gwen said, "How are we going to deal with it?"

"We won't," Jack said. He pointed to three army jeeps that were already surrounding the area, "UNIT will."

Astra scoffed and everyone looked at her, "What?" She asked.

"Don't like UNIT?" Jack asked.

"You could say that," She replied, eyeing the UNIT jeeps. The men with their red caps were searching the area already, "You know how Torchwood was the wayward group here?" Jack and Ianto nodded, "In my world it was UNIT. Torchwood fought UNIT. They were always doing something stupid..."

"Not like that here," Jack assured her, "Let them have it."


	2. In The Depths 1

A/N: Ok, so here's the real story. I was going to start with this, but I thought people might hate me if I did that... Enjoy!!!

**In The Depths 1  
**

Jack strolled into the main hub. He'd left early, before anyone had gotten there, to investigate a weevil sighting. He was coming up from the morgue, expecting to see them around the hub. Ianto should've been serving coffee, Gwen should've been around near her desk, Taye in his white lab coat, Astra at her desk, most likely trying to check up on him and make sure he hadn't gotten himself killed. All that should have been there, with them chatting about one thing or another. Jesting with each other, picking on each other, joking about something stupid someone had said, but there was nothing. Jack didn't hear anything as he came up the stairs, but Myfawny's hallow cry.

He looked around and something caught him off guard. They were there. Ianto was lying on the floor by the stairs that lead to the kitchen. A tray of coffee lay beside him. The cups were shattered and the hot liquid swirled around his still body. Jack ran over to him.

"IANTO!" He collapsed to his knees by his still form, he pulled him into his arms, "Yan?" There was no reply from the Welshman. Jack looked around frantically, "TAYE!" He cried out for the medic.

He put Ianto gently down and made his way towards the autopsy bay, but stopped when he spotted Taye. He was sprawled out near the stairs that lead to the board room. Jack rushed to the young man and knelt beside him. Jack looked from Taye to the walkay above. It looked as though he'd fallen from there and landed badly. His neck was bent at an odd angle. Jack swallowed a stragled cry in his thoat as he left Taye's lifeless body and stood up. He looked around the main hub area. Gwen and Astra were nowhere to be found on the main level. He bounded up the stairs to the board room, taking them two at a time. He shouted their names, but he only heard his own voice echoing back at him. He slammed his hand down on the control panel to open the door. It slid open...

Slouched over the table Jack spotted Gwen. Her dark hair covered her face, "GWEN!!!" Jack screamed. He ran to her. He pulled her gently off the table so that she was lying back in her chair. Her eyes stared back at them, but they weren't her eyes. The eyes that stared at him were cold, dull and lifeless, "No..." Jack choked back a sob as he walked past her. She was just as dead as the others. He walked around the table aimlessly, not looking where he was going till he tripped. Looking down he couldn't hold it back anymore. He let out scream that would have woken the dead. Lying by the head of the table, under the plasma screen, lay Astra. His Romi. He knelt down beside her.

"Astra?" He shook her gently, "Romi? Romana? Please!" He checked her pulse. Nothing. He held her to him, "Come on, Regenerate! I know you can!" Tears streamed down his face as the faces of his team flashed through his mind and his memories overlapped them with the day he'd returned to the hub to find that his former boss had killed the old team.

He looked at Astra. She should have regenerated. Why hadn't she? Had she not wanted to? It was the only reason he could think of that she wouldn't come back to him. He put her back down ever so gently and walked out of the room not looking at Gwen's lifeless body as he went. On the girls he'd found no cause of death. Ianto could have fallen down the stairs and Taye from the walkway... But how likely was that? What could have killed them? All of them? He went ddown the stairs, careful not to step on Taye's body.

He woundered back to Ianto and collapsed beside him. Jack pulled Ianto's limp body into his arms and did something he hadn't done in a very long time. He forgot that there was an alien threat out there and he cried. He cried for Ianto, his lover. He cried for Gwen, his cinfidant and faithful friend, He cried for Taye, who he'd convinced, this was the job for him... and he cried for Astra, the girl who'd fallen into their lives by chance and turned out to be one of his best friends, the last female Time Lord. They were his team, his friends, but most importantly his family.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, Ianto's cold body in his arms, Taye's only a few meters away and the girls above them in the board room, but it didn't matter to Jack. Nothing mattered anymore. This was just one more event to point out to him that his immortlity was a curse, that no matter how many people around him died, he'd always be there. He looked up to the board room, half expecting to see a woman standing there looking down at them. A regenerated Astra, but there was no one there.

It was then that he heard it, the sound of the time rotar, whirling into existance. He glanced towards the TARDIS in the corner of the hub. Her TARDIS. Broken as it was, they'd retrieved it with the Doctor's help and hid it within the hub. It was still sitting there peacefully. Next to it though, an old London Police call box faded into appearance. Jack didn't get up. He had no reason to. He knew who it was and the last thing he wanted to tell the Doctor was that Romana was dead.

The door to the TARDIS opened and the Doctor stepped out. He'd never appeared in the hub before, always on top. He instantly spotted Jack, sitting on the floor, sobbing over the body of one of his team. Looking around he spotted the body of the young medic he'd met last time he was here. He knelt down beside his friend, "Jack?" Jack looked up at him. The Doctor could see the anguish in Jack's eyes, "What happened?"

Jack shrugged, jostling Ianto slightly as he did, then shook his head, "I don't know... I came back and found them like this..." He held Ianto closer to him, "The girls are in the board room..."

The Doctor started to nod, but then took account of what Jack had said. He'd said girls, not Gwen. But that meant... He stood up, "NO!" He ran up the stairs to the board room. He slammed his hand on the panel, much as Jack had. The first thing he saw was Gwen's body, slumped back in her chair. He didn't see Romana as he scanned the room and he allowed a small amount of hope to grow within him, but it instantly faded as he walked around the table and spotted the body of their young tech. Romana's latest regeneration... She hadn't regenerated.

He slumped beside her, his back leaning agaist the wall. He took her in his arms, "Why haven't you regenerated? Romanadvoratrelundar, you are the most stubbourn woman I have ever met!" He pulled his Sonic Screwdriver out from his coat pocket and pointed it at her. He needed to make her come back. He couldn't lose her too.

But nothing happened. He got no reading from the screwdriver. He hit it a few times and tried again. Nothing happened. He tried to get a reading on the body instead, how she died, anything. Instead, he got a list of ingrediants. He did it again and the same thing happened.

He put Astra down and walked over to Gwen. He did the same thing. The same list of ingrediants appeared to him. Then it occured to him. He looked back at the bodies as he walked out and prayed to Rassilon that he was right. Once out of the board room, he raced down the spiral staircase to Jack, "They're constrructs!"

Jack looked up at him, "What?"

"These!" He motioned from Ianto to Taye, then up to the board room, "They're not your friends! They're creations! Someone took your team Jack! They're still alive," The Doctor rambled on, tryng to get his point across to the depressed Captain.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked, tentatively putting Ianto down and getting up.

The Doctor paused, "I'm sure that these aren't them... And you wouldn't go through all this trouble to take them and then kill them..."

Jack nodded slowly, "Ok..." He started to slowly walk towards Astra's desk then looked back at him, "Why are you here?"

"Oh, this," He held up his psychic paper. On it was written:

_Doctor,  
Come Quick.  
R._

Jack looked at the paper, underneath the actual message was the actual coordinates. "R... Romi?"

"That was my guess. But, I don't know why she gave me these time coordinates... It's not like her to mess up like that," The Doctor said.

"Unless she wanted to be sure what ever it was, was gone by the time you got here," Jack suggested.

"You have security footage here?" The Doctor asked.

Jack nodded, "Yeah..." He glanced back to Ianto, "I haven't looked at it yet..." He made the rest of the distance to Astra's desk and found the security footage for that morning. He couldn't believe he hadn't bothered with this ealier.

He felt the Doctor rest a reassuring hand on his shoulder as he found the point where the first of them came in for the morning. Astra.

"Early riser is she?" The Doctor asked.

"Even before we found out she was a Time Lord..." Jack almost whispered.

A few minutes later Ianto entered. The spoke briefly, then Ianto went to clean up something. Taye showed up about half an hour later. Followed not long after by Gwen. They said hello to each other, then Ianto dissapered to the kitchen.

"Where are you now?" The Doctor asked.

"Weevil hunt."

On the screen, the two watched as everyone looked in the direction of the kitchen. Jack changed the camera view. The were looking into the kitchen where Ianto stood with the coffee. Something stood behind him and pushed him. Jack saw Ianto's anguished face as he fell, but he never reached the bottom of the stairs, he vanished in the middle of the fall, the tray of coffee continued to fall however and they watched as the cups shattered on the floor, spilling Ianto's heavenly coffee all over the place. The creature that had pushed Ianto proceeded out of the Kitchen towards the main hub.

Down in the main area, Taye, Gwen and Astra had spotted the intruder. Astra yelled something to the others and Taye hurried to get Gwen upstairs to the board room. They watched as she ran up the stairs, he hovered by the stairs yelling at Astra. She yelled something back at him, while glancing at the thing, recognition and fear flaring in her eyes. She turned back to the computer, doing something. She yelled to Taye again, but he was now refusing to do as she said. The alien made it's way towards her desk. Suddenly she jumped up and headed towards the stairs, pulling Taye up behind her. They were racing along the walkway when the creature appeared behind Taye and threw him over the side. Like Ianto, Taye never reached the bottom, he vanished mid fall. Astra screamed his name, but the creature tore down the walkway towards he and she hurried into the board room, closing the door behind her.

"She knows what it is!" Jack commented as he watched the footage.

The Doctor nodded, "So she should..." He stared at the screen, the beast was beating at the door to the board room.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"Have you ever heard of the Vashta Nerada?" The Doctor asked.

Jack nodded, "Yeah. Piranhas of the air."

"Yeah... The void has a similar beast. Larger, more intelligent, and far more fearsome. That," He pointed to the best hammering on the boad room door, "Is a swarm of the King of the Vashta Nerada."

"Don't they eat everything..."

"Not them."

Jack nodded, then changed the camera view to the board room. Gwen was yelling at Astra, who was trying to keep Gwen calm, but the Doctor could see the fear in her eyes as well. Gwen was pacing, but Astra forced her to sit... In the same chair Jack had found her in. He watched Astra get weapons from one of the lockers. While she had her back turned, Jack and the Doctor could see a swarm come under the door and surround Gwen. She looked as though she was choking. Astra spun around, one of the weapons in hand, but there was nothing to shoot at. The swarm formed on the other side of the room from her as Gwen vanished from the room. The Vashta Nerada King stood there. She opened fire on him, no mercy. It just laughed at her.

She was backed up against the back wall, under the plasma screen, she was firing continually at it, but it just appeared to laugh as it kept coming towards her. It reached out its large hand, which grabbed her around the throat. The gun was ripped from her hand and thrown aside on top of one of the cabinets, where Jack couldn't have found it unless he'd been looking. She struggled in its grasp, but it lifted her up and the fear was clear on her face as they watched. Suddenly she too disappeared.

The swarm vanished, then ten minutes later returned. Two bodies were left in the board room. Gwen slumped over the table and Astra on the floor near the head of the table, beneath the plasma screen. Jack changed the views again and they saw the same thing happen in the main hub. Ianto's body appeared at the base of the kitchen stairs, in the mess of coffee and Taye's appeared beneath the walkway where he would have fallen. Then, a few minutes later, he walked in.

Jack switched the video footage off, "Now what?" He asked the Doctor, "How do I find them?"

"You? You mean we right?" The Doctor asked. He waited until Jack nodded, then he pointed to the TARDISes, "Her TARDIS can trace her and since she's travelled with me, so can mine. We should take K-9 too."

Jack nodded, slowly he was slipping into work mode. His team was missing, but they were alive. He had to get them back and he would. He looked at the Doctor. He was still ready from the Weevil hunt, "Let's go."


	3. In The Depths 2

_A/N: While Jack was in the Hub, what was happening to the others? Let's find out! ^_^ _

_bbmcowgirl: Glad to see you're along for the ride again!_

**In The Depths 2**

Ianto landed with a soft thud on the hard floor. He wasn't quite sure where he was or how he had gotten there. He knew it wasn't the hub and he tried desperately to figure out how he'd gotten here. He remembered everyone getting in that morning. Jack being gone on a Weevil hunt... Then what? He'd spoken to the team and gone to make coffee... Then what? He sat up. He noticed wet patches on his suit. He smelled like coffee. Had he dropped the coffee? He didn't know. His thoughts were interupted though by the sound of someone screaming. He got up from is place on the floor. His head whriling as he looked around for the source of the noise. Amidst the screaming he heard a thud and he saw Taye land on the floor.

Taye couldn't help but scream. He'd never admit it to the others, but he was afraid of hights. Though, why was that an issue now? He'd been at the hub... Even when he felt solid ground beneath him, he kept screaming. Fear consuming him slowly as he refused to admit he was on solid groound. Safe. He felt a hand on his shoulder and tried to look up. He saw Ianto staring at him. He felt relief at the sight of his friend and collegue, but something plagued his mind.

"Ianto?"

Ianto nodded, "Yeah."

Taye tried to sit up and Ianto helped him. Taye couldn't help but to feel his bones, make sure nothing was broken, "Where... Where are we?" He asked, looking around the dark room.

Ianto shrugged. The gesture was barely visible in the dark, "I don't know," He relplied.

Taye looked around, half to make sure he head still turned at natural angles and wasn't floppy, "Do you know what happened? Where are the girls?"

Ianto shook his head, "No, I was making coffee... Then... I don't know... I have no idea about the girls... Or Jack..."

Taye looked at him. Then remembered something, "You don't remember falling down the stairs?"

"No... Did I?" Ianto asked, confused.

Taye nodded, "Yeah..."

"What happened after that?" Ianto asked, suddenly intrigued.

"Umm... Astra yelled for me and Gwen to go upstairs, Gwen went, but Astra wouldn't come so I waited for her... When we got up..." He looked at Ianto, he paused for a few moments thinking, then finally admitted, "I don't know."

Ianto was aout to say something, but they were interupted by the sound of someone choking. The guys turned to see Gwen, appear and collapse onto all fours trying desperatly to catch her breath. Taye was by her side instantly, holding her and trying to make it easier for her to breath.

Gwen coughed, she could still feel the beasts in her throat. She could barely see as tears clouded her vision. She felt someone take hold of her and pat her back. Then a voice she recognised.

"Gwen?" Ianto carefully said once she'd stopped coughing, "What happened?"

She shook her head, "I... I don't know..." She looked at Taye, "I went up, like she said, but when I heard you coming she screamed your name... Why?"

Taye shook his head, "I don't know Gwen... I don't remember."

"What happened to you?" Ianto asked her.

"I was sitting in the board room, Astra was talking about something... The Void... I think.... I don't remember...And getting them... She was getting weapons from the cabinet in the board room... But... I don't know if she got them..."

There was a sound of someone being thrown up against a nearby wall as they spoke. Who ever it was, was stuggling for breath. The three of them moved slowly towards the wall, and saw Astra there, holding her throat as she slid down the wall. Her hands were rubbing her neck and she was taking deep breaths and coughing occasionaly, just as Gwen had done.

"Astra?" Taye asked.

She looked up at the three of them. She scrambled to her feet clumsily and suddenly threw her arms around Taye, "I didn't think you'd survive the fall..." He held her close.

"What fall?" He asked.

"It threw you off the walkway..." She said softly, before letting go of him and hugging Gwen, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have turned my back on you..."

Gwen hugged her back, "No problem, we're all ok right?"

"Yan, you ok?" Astra asked going to hug Ianto too.

Ianto hugged her back, "Little confused, but fine."

Astra frownd slightly, "Damn this regeneration... It's so clingy..." She whined.

Taye chuckled, then asked, "What on earth was that thing?"

"Wait, do you remember what happened to you?" Gwen asked.

Astra nodded, "Unfotunetly, yes... And to all of you."

"Taye's right... What was that thing?" Ianto asked.

"We call it the King of the Vashta Nerada... It's not really, if we'd been attacked by the Vastha Nerada there'd be nothing left of us, but bone... But it dwells in the darkness and shadows as the Vashta Nerada does..." She explained.

"What are the Vashta Nerada?" Gwen asked.

"Literally? The Piranahs of the air, they eat anything and dwell within the shadows," She smiled weakly, "Any of you afraid of the dark when you were little?" Ianto and Gwen nodded, "Rightly so, those things will feed off of you as piranahs do, but far more quickly."

"But you said, that this things isn't actualy a Vashta Nerada," Taye argued.

"There is no such thing as _**A**_ Vashta Nerada, Taye, they come in swarms, you'll never find only one," She paused, "The King of the Vashta Nerada is actually a void beast, well swarm. I tried explaining this to Gwen, but I don't know how much you remember."

"I remember you mentioned the void... And that's about it," Gwen admitted.

Astra nodded, "Right..."

"What's the void?" Ianto asked.

"It's the gap between the universes, like a no mans land or an ocean between continents," She explained, "Vashta Nerada feed off meat and flesh, The King of the Vashta Nerada, feeds off void stuff."

"What's that?" Gwen asked.

"It's a substance that covers anyone thats ever travelled between universes, you can actually see it with those silly 3D glasses that you get when you go to those 3D movies. Anyway, it's their food source, but for people that have spent a lot of time in the void, it becomes part of their life souce... and they're the perfect feeding ground for these things."

"Things? I saw only one, "Taye said.

"It was a swarm, it just looked like one beast. That's how it got into the board room and choked Gwen."

"Brilliant, so we're actually deaing with millions of little aliens," Gwen muttered, not impressed at all by the thought, "How the hell do we fight something like that?"

"Astra, you've travelled between universes..." Ianto said slowly.

She shook her head slowly, "More then that Ianto... I was held in the void during a regeneration... The Void stuff... It's a part of me."

"Any idea where we are?" Taye asked, trying to lighten the mood slightly.

She shook her head, "From this little room, there's no way to tell."


	4. In The Depths 3

A/N: Here's the next bit guys! The finishing part won't be up till sometime next week. I'm going away for a few days! But I promise the next bit will solve everything! ^_^ Enjoy, Review if you like it... or if you dont...

Anja!

**In The Depths 3**

In the TARDIS, The Doctor was explaining to Jack much the same story about the King of the Vashta Nerada.

"So, if they're not actually Vashta Nerada, what are they?" Jack asked as the Doctor worked.

"They're kin to the Vashta Nerada. They need to feed, but off void stuff," The Doctor said, then turned to K-9, "Where's your Mistress?"

"Locating Mistress, Master," The robot dog replied, "Mistress located. Five hundred meters from the Cardiff Bay. Two hundred meters under water."

"Good dog!" The Doctor replied, setting the coordinates with the TARDIS.

"Affirmitive!" K-9 replied.

Jack laughed, "I love that dog!"

The Doctor nodded, "Yeah... Hold on!"

Jack grabbed to console as the TARDIS left the hub and reappeared where K-9 had said his Mistress was. The Doctor activated the screen and looked at their surrounds, "There's a Sycorax ship under Cardiff bay?"

"Oh... That... I asked UNIT to clean it up!" Jack muttered coming over to have a look, "That was in North Cardiff... We gave the scene over to UNIT to deal with... This is what they did with it? I'll need to talk to Martha about that..."

The Doctor nodded, "Yes you should..." He looked at te screen, judging the state of the ship, "It's under the sea, Dark, old, disused, their perfect home away from home, except they were running out of food," The Doctor said.

"And Astra's been through the void and has void stuff on her," Jack concluded.

The Doctor nodded, "Yes she does. So do I."

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

The four of them had searched the room. There was only one door. It had no window on it. It was a small, dark room, and they had no idea what to do.

"Your Vortex Manipulator?" Taye asked looking as Astra. She held up her hand. Her wrist had nothing on it, "Oh..."

"They thought of that too..." She replied.

Gwen groaned in frustration, "So now what?"

"They'll come eventually and we can rush them?" Taye asked.

Gwen looked at him, "Yeah... We can rush a swarm that doesn't need to open the door!"

"Actually," Ianto interupted, "The door is air tight, they'll need to open it."

Taye leaned back against one of the walls, "I guess that's something..."

The door did open. The beast, created by the swarm of King Vashta Nerada entered. Ianto looked at the others, they all nodded. He rushed for the door, but the beast noticed him. The beast looked to dissolve as it surrounded Ianto. He screamed as the swarm of King Vashta Nerada surrounded him. Gwen, Taye and Astra ran to him and tried to pull him out of the swarm. The swarm seperated into two. One half pulled Ianto away from them and out of the room, while the other half made a wall around the others. Stuck in the small dark room, they could hear Ianto's screams get further and further away from them. They tried to break through the wall, created by the swarm, but it just seemed to get stonger as if more King Vashta Nerada joined the effort.

Gwen screamed after Ianto, but it was too late, he was gone from them. Suddenly the swarm vanished fom infront of them. The three of them dove for the door, but it was closed by the time they reached it. They fell into the solid door, each giving their own cry of pain.

"Shit!" Taye cried, getting up. He leaned down to help Gwen up, then Astra, "What the hell just happened there?"

"I have no idea!" Gwen said, "We have to get Ianto back!"

Astra stared at the door, "They'll be back! Then will be your chance."

"Your? You mean our?" Taye asked, "Right?"

She shook her head, "They've had a taste, they now know it's me that has the void stuff. Next time they come, let me do my thing and go for it! Find Ianto."

It took about an hour for the King Vashta Nerada to return. During that hour, so they thought, Astra kept reminding them that finding Ianto was the most important thing. Taye and Gwen nodded along, they had tried to argue with her about it, but she hadn't listened. In fact, she'd down right ordered them to do it. When the door opened, Astra sat the furthest away from Gwen and Taye, who were beside the door. They waited as they'd been told till the swarm was practically on top of Astra before running out of the room. Gwen had to pull Taye out. He was on the verge of changing his mind and ignoring the orders.

"She knows what she's doing!" She insisted as she pulled him along. Taye looked at her for reassurance and she nodded.

"I hope you're right Gwen!" They took off running.

Inside the room, the Vashta Nerada King swarm began their feast on the void stuff around Astra. She tried to beat them away, but her attacks got slower and weaker...

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Inside the TARDIS, Jack was trying very patiently to wait for the Doctor who was trying to pinpoint the location of anything human or Time Lord aboard the Sontaran ship. Frustrated he turned to K-9, "Where's Romana?"

"Mistress's lifesigns are undetectable," K-9 answered, "Mistress's Vortex Manipulator is..." The dog proceeded to give directions.

"Take us there!" The Doctor ordered.

"Affirmative Master!"

Jack headed for the TARDIS door with K-9 and the Doctor in tow. They stepped out into the ship and followed the dog as it lead the way through the winding corridors. Jack had his gun in his hand ready to shoot at anything that moved. The Doctor looked disaprovingly at him, "Must you?"

Jack glared at him, "Yes. These things took my team and left dead bodies of the lying around my hub!"

The Doctor sighed, "Alright then...Just try not to shoot!"

Jack huffed, "Fine!"

They were rounding a corner when they heard a shout and to thuds. Jack was certain he recognised the voice who'd shouted.

He finished rounding the corner to see Gwen and Taye staring at K-9 laughing, "I told you it was her dog!" Taye insisted.

"Well, It could have been one of theirs!" Gwen insisted.

Jack coughed. They looked up at him, Gwen jumped up and ran to him. She threw her arms around him, "You found us? How?"

Taye stood up as the Doctor joined them, "Good to see you boss," He said, "Doctor," He nodded to the Time Lord.

Jack smiled at the two of them. He hugged Gwen back and when she released him he grabbed Taye and hugged him too, "I thought... You... Never mind!"

"Where are the others?" The Doctor asked.

Gwen and Taye stared at each other, "Ianto was taken over an hour ago. We were looking for him..." Gwen explained.

"Astra distracted the things while we got a away," Taye said, his voice sounded like a low growl. He hadn't been happy with the plan.

The Doctor's face turned to a scowl, "You left her with the King Vashta Nerada?"

"She ordered us too!" Gwen replied staring at him, "She's never done that before."

"Where is she?" Jack asked.

"Back that way," Taye said, pointing in the direction they had come.

As they walked Taye looked at the Doctor, "You understand this regeneration stuff right?"

The Doctor nodded, "Yeah."

"What did she mean when she said that the void stuff had become a part of her?" He asked.

The Doctor stopped, "WHAT?" He stared at the army medic, "She said she regenerated in the void?"

Gwen nodded, "Yeah. She was trying to explain it to us and well, she'd travelled between the universes so we asked if it was on her and she said it was apart of her..."

"Run!" The Doctor yelled at them!

Taye and Gwen stared at each other then at Jack, "He said RUN!" Jack repeated. Taye and Gwen broke into a run, Jack and the Doctor keeping up with them easily. K-9 struggled along behind them.

Taye skidded to a stop outside the open door to the room they'd been locked in. Jack, the only one who was armed went in first, The Doctor right behind him with his Sonic Screwdriver and K-9 wih his laser nose. Gwen and Taye followed them in.

They were confronted the the sight of a huge black cloud occupying the back courner of the room. There were so many Vashta Nerada Kings that they couldn't see the actual corner, let alone if anyone was there.

"Astra?" Taye yelled out.

"ROMANA!" The Docter screamed. He pointed the Sonic Screwdriver at the swarm and pressed. Part of the swam went flying away fom their prey. The spotted Astra's blond hair near the ground. She was sprawled in the corner half leaning against the wall.

Jack fired his gun just over her head. The little beasts went flying in all directions from the noise. The Doctor started towards the Torchwood tech but Jack pushed him back, "You've been through the void, they'll feast on you!"

He motioned to the others to follow him as the Doctor kept his Sonic Screwdriver focused on the miniture aliens. Jack, Gwen and Taye made their way to Astra. She was unconcious from what they could gather, at least Gwen hoped she was only unconcious.

Jack picked her up carefully and pulled her back to the Doctor and K-9. Gwen and Taye flanked him. The Doctor motioned them out of the room and wen they were out, turned and fled the room himself, slamming the door closed behind him.

The four of them sighed in relief and Jack carefully held Astra, "Jack, let K-9 see her."

He looked from the Doctor to the dog and shrugged, he knelt down infront of the robot dog, "Mistress is depleted of energy. Sustenance required."

"Oh shoosh up.... You silly dog..." A groggy voice said.

"Yes Misteress."

Jack looked down at her, "You Ok?" He asked.

She nodded tentatively. She had a look on he face he couldn't decipher. The Doctor had seen it before though. He took Astra's hand and help her stand up. She was wobbly on her feet, "Have you found Ianto?" She asked, "They took Ianto."

"We're going for him now," The Doctor replied, "Can you walk?"

"I think so. Let's get Ianto," She said.


	5. In The Depths 4

_A/N: Sorry for the long delay. I went away and then realised I hadn't finished this bit! Hehe, well, here it is finally! ^_^ Enjoy! Anja .x._

**In The Depths 4**

The team made their way through the ship. Always looking back to see if any of the beasts were following them.

"How are we going to find Ianto?" Taye asked as they ran.

"We'll search every bloody room if we have to!" Jack called over his shoulder.

They came to a t-intersection in the corridors, "Which way?" Gwen cried.

The Doctor looked around. He looked from left to right, then back to the left. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it in both directions as Jack pointed his wristband in the opposite. Then they switched.

"That way!" They both called pointing to the left.

"Why?" Taye asked as they all headed in that direction.

"Rift energy," Jack replied.

They trudged on through the corridors warily. K-9 rolled along behind them, the Doctor assisted Astra, Gwen was looking around for any sign of the Vashta Nerada Kings, Taye had a frown on his face as he followed Gwen and Jack lead the way.

They emerged into a large room. There were panels, that were dead with a lack of power and disuse. In the centre of the room, a glowing yellow portal shimmered.

"The rift..." Gwen muttered, then swore in welsh.

Astra shook her head, "They couldn't have taken him through the rift..."

"I'll look!" Jack barked. His worry for Ianto, clouding his judgement.

"It'll kill you!" Astra yelled at him.

He spun to look at her, the others standing back as they watched the confrontation, "I don't die remember!" He cried.

"And what use are you if you're trapped in the void?" She cried back.

"Oi, you two!" The Doctor interupted.

Jack ignored him, "They have Ianto and I'm going to get him back!"

"Uhh!" Taye tried to interupt.

"WHAT?" They yelled.

Taye looked nervously to Gwen who shrugged, "We don't know if they took Ianto through the rift... Maybe we should search rooms off of this one first...?"

Jack and Astra stared at each other. He was right. They didn't know for sure, "Spread out." Jack ordered.

The moved away from the doorway that they'd entered through, the Doctor trudged on behind Astra, "You know, you two are as bad as an old married couple."

She glared at him, "Oh?"

"You bicker together, I've seen you laugh and I've seen the way he cares for you. It's different with you two then with the others."

She shrugged as they approached a doorway, "It's been a long time since either of us were around someone our own age."

The Doctor chuckled, "But you two met before that."

Astra used the control panel to open the door, "What are you getting at?"

"For a Time Lord, you are dense."

"This coming from you?" She asked, with a slight laugh.

They entered the room, it was empty of human life, or any life for that matter, "I'm just saying perhaps there's something underlying the bickering."

She shook her head, "You really are hopeless, you know that right?" He raised an eyebrow at her, "Jack has Ianto and I have Rhiley. Plus, Jack and I, we live forever. Whatever will be will be Doctor. It's not our place to mess with that remember. Time Lords are the gaurdians of the time line."

She lead the way out of the room again. On the way out, The Doctor noticed something. He paused picked it up, slid it into his pocket and followed Astra out of the room. Gwen and Jack were reemerging from a room across from them and Taye was returning from one on the farside of the large control room, K-9 following him.

"And?" Jack barked.

"Nothing," Taye replied.

The Doctor shook his head, "I'm sorry Jack."

Gwen looked around, "This is our fault. It was a stupid plan!"

"What plan?" Jack asked.

"Our plan to get away. Ianto got taken because we weren't ready!" Taye added.

"So now what?" Jack barked looking at The Doctor and Astra. All of them could tell he wasn't thinking. The only one that knew why though, was the Doctor and he approached his friend.

"Jack?"

"What do we do?"

"Jack, listen to me," Jack stared at him, and the Doctor continued, "We'll get him."

"We don't even know where he is! I can't... I can't... Not twice in one day... Please..."

Taye, Gwen and Astra stared at Jack, "What do you mean?" Gwen finally asked.

"The Vashta Nerada Kings left constructs of you behind... Jack returned to the hub to find you all dead..." The Doctor explained.

Gwen gasped. Taye looked shocked and horrifed, while Astra shook her head, "Oh Jack..."

"What do we do about Ianto though?" Taye asked, "We've got to find him!"

"Ok... "Gen said, thinking out loud, "What if he's not in this area of the ship?"

"Plausible," Astra agreed, joining in, "If the Kings had been able to return through the rift they wouldn't have needed to feed on this side... So, they mustn't have used the rift portal!"

"But we can't detect any lifesigns on here!" Jack said.

"Then like you said Jack, we search every bloody room till we find him!" Taye replied.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" The Doctor asked, "Let's go!"

It took them close to and hour to search every room from the control room, to what seemed to be an engine room. As they neared the central area of the room, it became obvious they hadn't locked all the Kings in their cell. Swarms of Vashta Nerada Kings filled the air and near the ground, they saw Ianto.

"How on earth are we going to get to him?" Gwen asked.

"We get rid of them!" The Doctor said.

"Why are they so interested in him?" Jack asked, "I thought they were searching for food?"

The Doctor looked at him, then at the others. Gwen and Taye shrugged.

Astra gasped, "I know!"

"What?" The Doctor asked.

"Ianto was at Canary Wharf.. While he's never been through the void, he was there every time they opened the rift there. He doesn't have enough void stuff around him to have been pulled through when you opened the void or even to be seen, but they're so hungry that they'll take whatever they can get!"

"How do you know about that?" The Doctor asked.

"Rose of course!" She said, "Now, allow me!" She stepped forward before either Jack or the Doctor could stop her, "Oi! You lot. Over here!" She cried.

"Astra!" Taye yelled after her.

"Stupid girl!" The Doctor muttered.

But the reaction was instant. The swarms of Vashta Nerada Kings left Ianto alone. They made their way to Astra, buzzing about.

"Get Ianto!" She yelled back to the others.

Jack didn't need to be told twice. He left the others and dove towards the young welshman. He pulled Ianto into his grasp. He was cold. He didn't move. Jack held Ianto close to himself as he got up and joined the others. Taye looked over Ianto as Jack held him.

The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at Astra, causing the Vashta Nerada Kings to leave her momentarily, "Romana!" He called to her. He was the only one that still used her real name. Jack only called her Romi when they were alone or when something was wrong. The Doctor could tell that what little stregth she'd gained since her rescue was failing her. She was struggling to keep standing. Using the Sonic Screwdriver to keep the tiny aliens at bay, he approached her. He slid his arm around her waist just as her legs failed her, "Come on!" He pulled her along, towards the others, "You lot, RUN! K-9, The core!"

"Affirmative Master!"

K-9 positioned himself towards the ship's reactor core, his little laser nose fired, "K-9!" Astra called after the tin dog, "Follow!"

"Affirmative Mistress."


	6. In The Depths 5

_A/N: Here's the last bit to this story. Will they make it out alive? Next up, the team deal with the aftermath of what happened... Oh, and I'm not sure if Jack ever got his own keyto the TARDIS, if he did, sorry for the mistke... Anja .x_

**In the Depths 5**

They ran. Jack carried Ianto, the Doctor helped Astra. As they ran, Taye realised that K-9 wouldn't be able to keep up. He grabbed the dog by the antenna and pulled it along.

"We have bout three minutes until the ship's structural integrity fails and it gets flooded!" The Doctor yelled to them all as they ran.

"The TARDIS is on the other side of the ship!" Jack called back to him, "We'll never make it!"

"Since when were you such a pessimist?" The Doctor yelled back to him.

"Would you two shut up and RUN!" Gwen yelled at them. She was the only one not ladened down with something or someone.

"Gwen!" The Doctor yelled to her, she looked to him and he threw her something. She caught it with ease. Looking in her hands as she ran she realised it was key, "TARDIS key!" He called, "Go ahead. Open the door for us!"

Gwen nodded and took off running ahead of everyone. She'd been holding back, trying to stay with them and not leave them behind. She glanced back only once to make sure that they were still coming behind her.

"How come I never got the key?" Jack yelled to the Doctor.

"You want to ask that now?" Astra yelled, joining in the argument.

"Would you all shut up like Gwen asked?" Taye yelled, still pulling K-9 along as they ran.

It was then that they heard the jarring sound of the ship's hull cracking and the water flooding in. They kept running. It was going to be close, looking back, Jack could already see the water coming after them. As they rounded a corner, he could see the TARDIS at the end of the hall. Gwen was nearly there. He clutched Ianto tightly to him. The welshman hadn't woken and wasn't showing any signs of life. His pulse was weak and his breathing laboured.

Gwen slipped the key into the keyhole and pushed the door of the TARDIS open. She stepped in. Trying to take in the size of the ship, while outside was just a tiny box. She turned back to the others. They were running, but each of them was burdened. She felt guilty for being in the safety of the TARDIS.

The roaring crash of the water hurtling down the corridors of the Sycorax ship filled their ears as they ran. They could feel small drops of water already pelting down on them. Taye dragged the struggling K-9 along after the others. He was last in line to enter the TARDIS. First in line to get swallowed up by the wall of water. The Doctor and Astra reached the TARDIS first after Gwen. Jack and Ianto were just in front of him. He could feel the water drenching his back and lost his footing as the water engulfed him.

"TAYE!" Gwen screamed from the TARDIS.

Jack didn't turn to look, but he knew what had happened. He was on the threshold of entering the TARDIS. He thrust Ianto into The Doctor's arms, "Take care of him!" He ordered. Then looked for Taye. He could see the young man's head bobbing around in the water. He was struggling to stay afloat.

"JACK!" The Doctor yelled back to his friend as the girls watched in horror of what they were seeing.

"GET THEM OUT OF HERE!" Jack screamed over the roar of the water. He searched for Taye. He couldn't find him. He dived into the water, desperately searching for his medic. He hit something as he swam. It was hard. K-9. Taye had been pulling the dog along.

He grasped hold of the metal dog. There was definitely something tugging on it. He grasped around and felt flesh. He could barely see, but he hoped like mad that it was Taye. He tried to swim them to the TARDIS, to the surface, anything, but there was no navigating the ferocious water. He found his wristband and pressed a button. He hoped it was the right one...

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

In the TARDIS, the Doctor slammed the doors shut before the wall of water could hit them. He held the door there was the felt the TARDIS rock with the force of the water rushing around them. Gwen stared at him, "We can't leave them out there!"

"Jack will come back!" The Doctor insisted.

"Jack might, but Taye won't!" Gwen cried.

"And just because Jack can, doesn't mean he should!" Astra hissed, then held her hand out to the Doctor, "My Vortex Manipulator. I saw you take it from the ship before K-9 blew the reactor core. Hand it over."

"You know I've told Jack-"

"I said hand it over!" She insisted, not backing down for an instant. The Doctor dug into his coat pocket and pulled out the wristband. He placed it in the angry woman's hand and she instantly opened it, "If Jack finds Taye he can use his own to get them back to the hub." She stared at the watch, "Why aren't you doing it?" She asked to herself.

"I stopped his from working..." The Doctor said.

"Yeah, well, I gave him something similar to the emergency protocols. It's only a teleport. No time travel. It allows him back to the hub in emergencies," She said. She paused. Gwen watched her impatiently, "They're in the hub! They're ok."

"Then let's get out of here!" The Doctor said, "Gwen, Take care of Ianto. Romana let's get her moving."

Gwen knelt beside Ianto. He wasn't doing well and they needed Taye to take care of him. She leaned against one of the railing poles and held Ianto to her. She watched as Astra and The Doctor moved around the TARDIS. Hitting things, pulling things, flipping switches. They moved in a perfect harmony of people who knew what they were doing and knew each other.

"Hold on!" The Doctor ordered.

Gwen reached up and grabbed one of the railings while the other two held onto the central console. Astra seemed natural in this environment. Like she belonged. The machine reacted well to her too, but then again, all machines did. Gwen noticed the Doctor smile at Astra, who smiled back.

"Like old times, huh?" Astra said.

The Doctor laughed, "Like old times indeed."

The rotor came to a stop and they were able to let go. Astra walked over to the doors and opened them, "Not bad, you actually managed to land in the right spot."

"Are you picking on me?" The Doctor asked, coming over to her, "Again?"

"Come on," She said ignoring the question, "Let's find Jack and Taye. They should be around here somewhere. We need Taye to look at Ianto."

"You go look. I'll see to Ianto. They don't call me The Doctor for no reason."

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Astra found Jack and Taye in the medical bay. The two of them looked like a pair of drowned rats. They were sitting side by side on the autopsy table, their wet clothes dripping water all over the floor. She watched them for a moment. Jack's hair laying flat and she was sure some of it was in his eyes. His great coat clung to him. Taye's own hair was plastered to his head, his denim jacket hanging about him. She made her way down the stairs to them, "You two Ok?" She asked.

Jack laughed and smiled at her, "Just bloody brilliant!"

Taye nodded, less enthusiastically, "Yeah... Fine..."

"Where are the others?" Jack suddenly asked.

"Still in the TARDIS. The Doctor's looking over Ianto," She replied.

Taye slid off the table and grabbed some things from around the bay, "I'll go help..." His shoes squelched as he walked, leaving watery footprints everywhere he went. He made his way slowly up the stairs, he was shivering, both Astra and Jack could tell, but they knew Taye wouldn't admit it until he'd seen Ianto.

Jack looked away from Taye, to Astra, "You Ok?"

"Me?" She asked, "I would have thought you'd be more concerned about Ianto."

"I can't ask Ianto if he's Ok until he wakes up," Jack replied. He glanced in the direction of the TARDIS and sighed sadly, "Will he be Ok?"

"Yeah... He'll have you as well," She replied.

"You still haven't answered my question though, are you Ok?"

She smiled slightly, "I'll be fine. K-9 wasn't far off. Some food and I'll be right as rain."

Jack frowned at the mention of the dog, "The dog's a bit water logged..."

"I should think so," Astra replied, "The bottom of the bay tends to do that to electronics."

Jack shook his head, "We got the dog out." He slid off the autopsy table and lead her up into the main hub. Sitting by her workstation was K-9, "Like I said. Water logged. I don't think any of his systems re working."

"K-9 can be repaired Jack, replaced if need be, even. You and Taye..." She started.

"We're here. We're Ok."

She nodded, "Go see Ianto."

Jack nodded and walked off to the TARDIS...

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Jack tried to send everyone home as soon as he could. Taye arranged with Martha for Ianto to be transferred to a UNIT hospital and insisted on going with him. The Doctor said good-bye to them all, wishing Ianto a speedy recovery. He hugged Astra warmly. He shook hands with Jack, but Jack pulled him in for a hug and thanked him for coming. Jack, Astra and Gwen watched as the TARDIS faded out of existence. After a while, Gwen went home to Rhys. Astra took a look at K-9's water logged systems. The dog would need a total refit. She sighed to herself. Something else to add to the list of things to do. The only one still around was Jack. He'd called Martha, what seemed to be a hundred times to check on Ianto, till she had eventually told him to stop calling and come. Jack had been ready to go, when he'd seen Astra still about the hub. He watched her work on the dog. His coat hung over his arm.

"I thought I sent everyone home?"

She looked up at him, "Uh... Yeah..." She looked back towards the tin dog, "I would have thought you'd be at the hospital with Ianto?"

"I'm going there now."

She nodded, "I'm just checking how damaged K-9 is..."

"And?" Jack asked.

"He needs a total refit. I'll get to it later," She replied as she looked at him, "You should get going."

Jack shuffled his feet, "Yeah. I should.. Go..." He put his coat on as he walked to the cog door, "You're going home soon aren't you?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I'm just going to clean up around here first."

"Don't stay too late."

"Jack?"

Jack stopped and looked at her, "Yes?"

"Make sure you go there. Don't shy away," She said standing up, "I've been watching you today," She walked over to him, "And I've seen the security footage." Jack took a deep breath and was about to speak, but she cut him off, "I understand..."

He nodded. Just hearing that, knowing that he wasn't alone. He knew he wasn't, but the Doctor wasn't always around. Astra was. He wounderd how she always knew what he was thinking, but knowing that she understood him, it helped. He gave her a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. After a moment he turned and wordlessly left. The cog door springing to life as he stepped through it.


	7. From Out of The Darkness 1

_A/N: Hi guys, this a continuation from 'In The Depths' it deals with the after affects of the mission and how the team deals with it ____ Enjoy! Anja .x_

**From Out of The Darkness 1**

Jack walked around the empty hub. He hated it when it was empty like this. It wasn't so much that no one was there. It happened most nights, everyone went home to their own lives, but he knew they wouldn't be in tomorrow. The case had been bad, he wouldn't deny that. Ianto had been seriously injured. Jack stopped pacing as he spotted Ianto's empty desk. He closed his eyes and sighed. He needed company. He couldn't help but see their bodies scattering the hub, but Taye was at UNIT with Martha, taking care of Ianto, Gwen was with Rhys... That left only one person he could turn to. He probably would've gone to her anyway. She understood better then most what his life was like. He almost ran to his office and grabbed his coat. He put it on as he headed to the invisible lift.

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

The hot water on her skin felt like a little slice of heaven in a very big cake of hell. Sighing wearily, as her legs wobbled, Astra turned the water off and grabbed a towel. Drying herself off she made her way to her bedroom where she slipped into grey track pants and a pink t-shirt. She tied her wet hair back in a messy pony tail and went in search of her sneakers. She slipped them on, did the laces. She grabbed her keys from the bench by the door and her hand hesitated over her phone. What if someone needed her? Then she'd already know, she decided. She left it there and headed out the door.

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Gwen held Rhys as they sat on the couch. The television was on, but neither were watching it. Gwen had her head rested on Rhys's leg and he was stroking her hair. She was talking to him in a barely audible voice about what had happened. It was never anything easy with them. He could feel his pants getting wet and he pulled her up to him. He hugged her close to him as she continued to cry.

A news article caught their attention, "Police and Marine experts are looking into the explosion in the bay this afternoon. As of yet, no official statement has been released by either authority. Some unofficial sources have stated that the source of the explosion could have been an underwater mine..."

Gwen sat up and looked at the article, but Rhys spoke first, "Jack is the unofficial source?"

"I think it was Astra this time," She replied, "She can pull off the smart official sound on the phone, better then Jack can, though in person it's usually Jack because Astra looks too young."

Rhys gave a small laugh, "How old are they?"

"Old."

Gwen settled down against Rhys again and he wrapped his arms around her.

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Jack looked up at the apartment building. It was a nice place, had quite a good view of the bay really. He headed in, half expecting to be stopped by the door man, but it was too late for him to be on duty he guessed. He made his way to the fourth floor of the apartment building and knocked on the door of one of the apartments facing the bay.

He waited, there was no response. He glanced at his watch, it was just past midnight. He suddenly realised that she might be asleep. He shook his head, not possible. Time Lords don't sleep. She was more like him then he realised.

He shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a key. He paused for a moment, before sticking it in the lock. She might not appreciate him entering her apartment like this, but he needed to see her. The door opened silently and he looked around. Everything was dark, except for the moonlight coming in from the large window that overlooked the bay and lead out to the balcony. He switched the light on and moved around. He noticed her phone on the bench, but no keys.

He sighed, she wasn't home. Where on Earth could she be? Sighing he took his coat off and draped it over the couch. He went and opened the glass doors which lead out to the balcony. The night air was cool and a soft wind blew through the main room, making the curtains flutter around him. He stared out for a while, he could see the Millennium centre from here. Even the water tower. Not a view he really wanted to see right now.

He wandered back inside and found the liquor cabinet. She really wouldn't mind that much, would she? Sighing he decided he didn't care. He grabbed a bottle and headed out to the balcony again.

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Taye sat in the uncomfortable chair by Ianto's bed. Martha was nearby, he could feel her watching. He knew there was nothing he could do for the Welshman tonight, but he couldn't bring himself to leave. He wanted to be there if there was any improvement. He wanted to be able to tell Jack that Ianto would be alright. He crooked his neck around and spotted Martha in the door.

"Any change?" She asked.

Taye shook his head, "Nothing..."

She came over to stand beside the bed and looked at Taye, "You should get some sleep."

"Later."

"Now," Martha insisted as she pointed to a bed next to Ianto's. The ward was empty besides for the three of them, "I'll wait with him."

Taye nodded wearily, he knew he was tired. He hadn't even showered after it all. His clothes were a mess and he knew he smelled.

"There's a bathroom through there," Martha said pointing to a door off the ward, "There's some clean scrubs in there if you're interested."

Taye nodded, then shook his head, "Later," He got up from the chair and made his way to the bed Martha had pointed out. As soon as his head hit the pillow, sleep overcame him...

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Taye sat in the uncomfortable chair by Ianto's bed. Martha was nearby, he could feel her watching. He knew there was nothing he could do for the Welshman tonight, but he couldn't bring himself to leave. He wanted to be there if there was any improvement. He wanted to be able to tell Jack that Ianto would be alright. He crooked his neck around and spotted Martha in the door.

"Any change?" She asked.

Taye shook his head, "Nothing..."

She came over to stand beside the bed and looked at Taye, "You should get some sleep."

"Later."

"Now," Martha insisted as she pointed to a bed next to Ianto's. The ward was empty besides for the three of them, "I'll wait with him."

Taye nodded wearily, he knew he was tired. He hadn't even showered after it all. His clothes were a mess and he knew he smelled.

"There's a bathroom through there," Martha said pointing to a door off the ward, "There's some clean scrubs in there if you're interested."

Taye nodded, then shook his head, "Later," He got up from the chair and made his way to the bed Martha had pointed out. As soon as his head hit the pillow, sleep overcame him...

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

The first thing Astra noticed as she made her way into her apartment building was the fact that her lights were on. She was certain she'd turned them off before she left. She paused and watched her apartment for a moment. There was someone moving around inside. She reached to her side for her weapon as she made her way into the lobby. She stopped when she couldn't find the holster.

"Shit..." She mumbled under breath. She made her way to the elevator and kept pressing the button for the fourth floor as it went. She stepped out and held her keys tentatively in her hand as she opened the door, ready to attack who ever she found in her apartment.

The room was empty by the time she walked in, but she noticed some differences immediately. A large military great coat was draped over her couch and her kitchen table was scattered with empty bottles from the liquor cabinet. Sighing she spotted the balcony door open. She slipped her shoes off and made her way out. It wasn't hard to spot her late night intruder. He was sitting on the floor looking out over the bay. The latest bottle in his hand. She watched as he raised it to his lips and gulped some down, ignoring the burning sensation that went with his current choice.

She slid down beside him and held her hand out for the bottle. He looked at her. She didn't look upset. Sighing he handed her the bottle. To his surprise she didn't take it and leave, instead she drank some and handed it back to him. He accepted the bottle and took another gulp.

"What are you doing here?" She finally asked.

"The hub was too empty," Jack said then took another swig from the bottle. He offered it back to her.

Astra shook her head, "He'll be ok," She said.

Jack nodded wearily, "I know," He stood up, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come here."

Astra quickly scrambled to her feet and blocked his way to the door, leading into her apartment, "Jack..."

"Don't," He said.

She searched his face for any sign of the happy-go-lucky guy she'd known years before, but didn't see any sign of him, "What are you really doing here?"

Suddenly, Jack wasn't quite sure what he was doing, or why. He stepped closer to her, pinning her small body between his own larger body and the frame of the door. He used the hand not holding the bottle to hold himself against the wall and kissed her. But unlike last time, she didn't kiss back, instead he felt her small hands on his chest, pushing him away from her.

"Jack!" She said hoarsely, "No, this isn't right. You're with Ianto."

Jack shook his head and tried again, but she pushed him away, "JACK! What is going on?"

He looked at her, her blue eyes were swimming with confusion, "He won't be back..."

Then it struck her. He knew Ianto would be fine, both Taye and Martha had confirmed it, he was scared Ianto would leave. She looked at him, "Jack, he won't leave!"

"Wouldn't you after that?" He asked, "Hell, you did leave!"

She sighed, "We're not talking about me Jack, we're talking about Ianto and I know for a fact Ianto would never leave..." She paused, a thought occurred to her, "You're afraid he'll quit and you'll have to retcon him..." Jack stared at her, how was it that she could always tell what he was thinking? He looked away from her. She reached up and took his chin in her hand, forcing him to look at her, "Jack Harkness you are a fool."

He stared at her, surprised, "What..." The hand holding his chin moved and a finger covered his mouth, making it hard for him to speak.

"Shh," She said, "Ianto knows very well what leaving Torchwood means and believe me, when I say Ianto will never willingly leave you. No matter how many times you break his heart." Jack stared at her. Of course he knew that, why was he being so stupid? She didn't allow him to answer though, instead, she ducked under his arm and walked into the apartment.


	8. From Out of The Darkness 2

_A/N: Firstly, I want to apologize for taking so long to upload. My computer at home is acting strange and won't let me access the sight for some reason and I have to use the university computers. Which being an off campus student, isn't exactly the easiest to do. To make up for it, I'll upload two pieces today. _

_Next up: Jack and Astra come to odds when he learns that she's been hiding something vital from him since they first met. Can they repair the damage before everyone involved gets hurt? And what is it that she's been hiding that Jack can't forgive her? Anja.x ^_^_

**From Out of the Darkness 2**

Rhys looked at Gwen as they settled into bed. He'd been wanting to ask her about something, but had totally forgotten about it when she'd come home. He hadn't seen her come home like that since Tosh and Owen had died.

He pulled her close to him, "I've been meaning to ask you something," He said.

"What?" She asked.

He took a deep breath, "I was approached by someone today who asked about you..."

"Someone we know?" She asked.

Rhys shook his head, "No... And they asked about Torchwood."

Gwen sat up, "What? Who was this and what did they say exactly?"

"It was a new guy at the firm. He doesn't even know your name, or so I thought... He came up to me, just before the lunch break and said 'You know Torchwood is dangerous. I'm surprised you let your wife, Gwen work there...' I told him I didn't know what he was on about."

Gwen looked worried, "That's... weird... I'll tell Jack about it when we go back to work..."

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Jack followed her in. He watched her cleaning up her apartment. He felt bad for making such a mess, "How do you do it?" He asked her from where he stood.

She looked up at him from where she was hovering over the kitchen table, "Do what?"

"Watch them die?" He added, walking up to her.

She stared at him, "I..." She thought. She'd never truly understood humans till she'd settled down among them, "I never got attached till recently..."

She looked at him, stopped what she was doing and walked up to him though, "Jack..." She lead him over to the couch and they sat, "You know I travelled with the Doctor?" Jack nodded, "I never understood his fascination with humans then... Mind you I'd hardly ever left Gallifrey and only knew what I'd learned. It wasn't till about... ohh, twenty years before I left my world. Before that, I'd been in an out of earth helping Torchwood on various issues, but this particular event changed my view on things..." She stared past Jack towards the balcony, she sighed sadly.

"What happened?" Jack asked.

She looked back at him, "I was travelling, when the TARDIS locked onto something. I followed the signal to the lair of a clan of Xyorinagons. I don't know if you've ever met them, but they are the foulest creatures in the universe, and void beasts like the King Vashta Nerada. They had a little human boy in their midst, he couldn't have been more then six at the time... I managed to get him to the TARDIS, but I was struck from behind by one of the Xyorinagon's. I was badly injured, enough to regenerate and the boy saw it, he was so scared, but... Do you know that in the first fifteen hours after regeneration, any and all injuries are healed, much like with you..."

Jack nodded, "I knew something of the sort..."

"Fourteen hours I was there and the boy watched from the TARDIS, too scared to do anything..."

Jack listened, "How did you get away?"

She laughed softly, "He saved me..."

"How?"

"He found K-9 and K-9 came out to save me. I was trying to regrow a leg at the time... The boy came out and helped me back to the TARDIS... He was such a sweet little thing," She sighed sadly, "Back in the TARDIS he cried for the other lady... The one that saved him... Do you know how hard it is explaining to a six year old that you're the same person?"

"I couldn't imagine, "Jack said, "But how is he significant to you staying on earth?"

"He became my son Jack..." She sighed, "We searched for his family," She paused and looked at Jack, there was a look on her face, as though she wanted to tell him something, but her expression changed and she continued, "But after almost a year of trying he came to me and asked if I'd be his mummy. I said yes... I joined Torchwood officially and took over the operation in Cardiff, the last leader went slightly mad..."

Jack nodded, "New year... My boss... Alex... killed them all..."

She nodded, "Yeah... Different person and year though... I recruited a new team and slowly watched as they died. They never got too old to do the job..."

Jack nodded, "They always die too young..."

"Joey wanted to join Torchwood..." She said softly, "I told him no. I wanted him to live a normal life, get away from the aliens and madness that had brought us together..."

"Joey..." Jack said, as if trying to remember something, "Before you changed back to yourself... You said Joey worked for UNIT?"

She nodded, "Yeah... Silly boy decided if he couldn't work for Torchwood he'd work for UNIT. Got in by using my name too," Jack laughed softly, but she continued, "I always knew I'd watch him die one day, but him being part of this world, it scared me. I'd lost so many friends in the time I'd been on earth, that losing Joey before it was his time, it frightened me. Then Rose and Mickey came..."

"And you left instead," Jack finished.

She nodded. She looked past him towards the open balcony doors, "Yeah... I always meant to go back. Back to my team... Oh Jack, you'd be surprised how much the same they are, yet how different..."

"Tell me." She looked at him, unsure, "Go on."

She smiled sadly, "My latest team, put together in bits and pieces I might add, I found Suzie Costello. Strange woman, but fiercely loyal to us. Slightly insane too I might add,"

She paused as Jack laughed, "That she was... She never betrayed you?"

Astra shook her head, "Not while I was there. Ianto came down from London after the Cyberman attack, Lisa hadn't been converted there, it wasn't Canary Wharf... It was Cybus Industries... I can't believe I missed the Doctor at that one... Anyway they married a few years later..." She smiled sadly, Gwen didn't join us, but she helped us, she could have made it to police chief here if she hadn't joined you."

Jack smiled, "She is pretty brilliant."

"I recruited Toshiko from the Department of Defence, before they got her mother, oh Jack, she was so much bolder then the Tosh you knew. Told Owen exactly what she thought of him!"

Jack laughed at the image of a bold Toshiko Sato, "She would've been a sight!"

Astra laughed, "Oh, she was. Katie still died..." She said sadly, "I couldn't do anything to help her, but Owen was different. He wasn't arrogant or cocky, he was sad, morose... More like your Tosh... Our team got a little bigger, Rose and Mickey came down from London. When I met her, I couldn't help but think of the Doctor... My TARDIS spent three weeks looking like that blasted blue box... She cried every time she saw it thinking he'd come for her..."

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Martha checked Ianto's vitals on the hour, as Taye had been doing earlier. There wasn't any change. Which wasn't bad news, he wasn't getting worse, but at the same time, he wasn't getting any better. She glanced over at Taye. He hadn't moved since he'd fallen asleep several hours earlier.

She was about to duck out when a cell phone started to ring. She looked around, it wasn't hers. She saw a phone near Taye that had lit up. She made her way over to the phone. She looked at the screen; the incoming number said 'Kim.'

She looked at Taye, he was still sound asleep, picking up the phone, she pressed answer as she moved away from Taye, "Dr. Martha Jones."

The voice on the other end was startled, "Umm, I'm looking for Taye..."

Martha glanced over at the other Doctor, "Taye's not available now..." Martha replied, "I'm afraid they had a pretty bad case..."

Kim gasped, "Is he alright?"

Martha mentally kicked herself for worrying the woman, "Taye's fine, he's just exhausted. One of the other members on the team got injured and Taye refused to let anyone else treat him."

Taye mumbled something in his sleep and turned over, "Kimmie..."

"I can wake him if you want... He should really get out of those wet clothes..."

Taye sat up suddenly and screamed.

"What was that?" Kim cried.

Martha ignored her though, "Taye?"

He looked at her, "I... I was in the water again..."

Martha sat down beside him as he took several deep breaths of air, "You're safe... Hey, Kim's on the phone..." She held the phone out to him and he took it.

"Kimmie?" He said.

Martha left them to talk as she headed off to get herself a coffee.

"Taye, what's going on?" Kim asked.

"Ianto got hurt today and... It's a long story and most of it I'm not allowed to talk about..."

Kim sighed on the other end of the line, "Are you ok?"

Taye shivered, "Actually I'm freezing... I never changed clothes..."

"How are the others?" Kim asked.

Taye took in a deep breath, "Jack's worried about Ianto... But that's about all I know..."

"You haven't heard from Astra and Gwen?"

"I left with Ianto to make sure he was being treated well; I didn't know Martha would be the one taking care of him... I know Jack keeps calling Martha, but I've heard nothing of the others."

"Are you coming home tonight?"

"After I check with Martha how Ianto's doing... And I think I'll shower here... I'm freezing..."


	9. The Curious Case of Joey Grey 1

**The Curious Case of Joey Grey 1**

Astra used the controls on her wristband to deactivate the security footage in the morgue. Jack could never know she was there. He could never know. It would break his heart a million times over. She took a deep breath as she stepped towards the wall of small doors. Each of them with a dead body or someone in chrystorage behind it. Herman, the robot like alien, that she'd met when she'd first joined Torchwood was there. Toshiko was down here. So was Suzie. Owen never could be.

She'd come down here to investigate one particular person though. A body kept in chryostorage. She'd read the file by accident and her own heart had broken. She needed to know if it was true. If it was really him.

She opened the door, labeled, 'Grey.' She pulled out the chryostorage container and stared down at the face of the young man held in stasis. Too dangerous to be out in the world, too vengeful against Jack. But Jack hadn't been able to kill his own brother. So he did the next best thing. She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes as she looked at the familiar face.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't save you too Grey..." She whispered, "I wasn't here. If I'd been here you might have been like this anyway. I would've died in the war with everyone else... Please forgive me... Jack forgive me..." Tears fell silently from her eyes as she sat down and leaned against the wall remembering her Grey. Her Joey. The little boy she'd saved in her own world. The little boy who she'd hoped she could reunite Jack with, but never got the chance, "I can see All that ever was, all that is and all that will ever be..." She said slowly, "I can see the defining moments in the lives of those around me. You're not from this reality Grey... Just like my Grey isn't from that reality. No, he belongs here with Jack... Your brother did let go of your hand... You're right to hate your brother... But Jack isn't your brother... Not this Jack... Jack lost his brother. Grey let go of his hand. Not the other way round... I've seen that sight so many times I can tell..." She choked back a sob, "You hate the wrong person... And Jack can never know because I can never take him to see his Grey..."

She could feel someone watching her from the doorway and she knew that he'd been there for a while. It wasn't Jack. She knew that much. It was Ianto, "What are you doing here?" He asked, looking warily at Grey's chryostorage container. He'd heard a lot of her speech, but it didn't make much sense to him.

"He wasn't like that Ianto... He was a sweet boy... All he wanted was his family back..." She said, softly, trying to choke back a sob.

Ianto came in and knelt in front of her, "What do you mean?"

She shook her head and stood up, "It doesn't matter anymore. The wall between the worlds is sealed. I can never tell Jack that Grey... His Grey is alright..." She pushed the storage container back in and closed the door, "Don't tell Jack I was down here. Please."

With that, she walked out of the morgue, reactivating the security cameras and leaving Ianto behind, confused by what she'd said. Ianto watched her leave and looked at the name. Nearby he spotted Tosh's name. He looked back towards the doorway, but Astra was gone. He left the morgue too, wondering what had just happened.

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

A young woman in her late twenties struggled to keep her ship on course. The void was a lot more dangerous then she'd expected, but she needed to get through. They needed Romana to come home. The stars were going out. She'd know what was going on. She always knew. The small one man fighter jet from Chula had been modified with the same Void Technology as the TARDIS. But an engine had blown halfway through the void. She had to open the gate now, but if she did she didn't know where she'd come out. The likeliness that she'd appear in the Time and Place that she wanted was next to none. If she could keep the ship on course for a few more minutes...

She was feeding energy from various areas of the fighter to keep the structure in place. The navigation systems were the next to go if she couldn't find something else.

"Damn it!" She cried. She just wanted to find her mum and go home, "WORK!" She hit certain switches on the control panel of the ship. Her mind was racing. It had been two years since her Mother had left in search of the Doctor. She'd said she'd be gone for two days. Two days!

She had no choice. She had to open the gate or she'd die in the void. She started to activate the systems with the remaining power that the ship had left. A beam shot out from a modified laser. In front of the ship, the beam started to form into a portal. The woman pushed the gear stick in the direction of the portal. She took a deep breath, "We need you mum!" She whispered to herself, "I need you!"

The ship crashed through the portal. Blue sky below her and green trees above her. Hang on! That wasn't right. She tried desperately to right the ship, but all the systems had died. The ship was stuck in a downward decent to the Earth. She was going to crash and there was nothing she could do about it. That didn't stop her from trying though!

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

"We've found the ship!" Someone called, "The pilot's human!"

Three UNIT officers approached. One of them, a young woman, who was staring at the ship in awe stopped in her tracks. This was her first assignment with UNIT. She'd just been transferred in. This was beyond anything that she'd expected. The little ship's design was so... Alien...

"Anyone know where it's from?" A male officer asked.

"Not a clue. They'll figure it out at base. Let's get the pilot. Doctor Veels?"

The new officer was startled out of her awe, "Ah... Yes..." She made her way to the ship and knelt down beside the window, "Human... I think. Female, Caucasian, Late twenties. There's a gash to her head which is still bleeding. I'd say those belts would have caused some internal injuries too. Get her out carefully." She stepped back and let the others get to work, pulling the woman out of the downed ship. Her assignment was just a classified as her fiancée's... She now had one for him... She sighed as she waited nervously, "Careful!" She cried as they started to move the ship's pilot.

The softened their movements around the woman and after a few minutes she was successfully removed from the craft. Kim Veels knelt beside the woman and got to work stabilizing her so that they could transfer her to UNIT base.

Her eyes flickered open and looked right at Kim. Fear flew through her eyes. They were a deep blue and they reminded Kim of someone... Who?

"Help..." The girl moaned, "Did I... Ahh..." She gave a small gasp of pain as she spoke, "I make it?" Her eyes closed as she slipped into unconsciousness again...

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Martha watched the interview over. Something wasn't right. Ok, there was the whole, the girl claimed to be a UNIT officer and no one knew who she was, but it was more then that. She was familiar in some way.

"Joey Grey. Lieutenant. Three-six-nine-eight-two-four."

She'd said that nine times already. Every question that had been asked since she'd requested to speak to the head of Torchwood had received that answer, her name, rank and serial number. The interviewers left the room, disgruntled at her lack of cooperation. They'd left a pen and paper in front of her. Martha watched as she picked up the pen and started to write.

She looked at the Colonel, "I have relations with Torchwood. I could ask Jack Harkness about her?"

Colonel Uppington-Sythe frowned, then nodded, "You talk to her first. See if she responds to you."

Martha nodded and opened the door to the interview room. The girl had shoulder length blond hair, which had probably been tied back in the fashion of military women, but was now falling lose around her face. There was a gash along her forehead which had been taken care of by another UNIT medic. Martha smiled at the thought of the new medic and wondered if Torchwood knew about her yet. Martha also knew that the girl had sustained other injuries in the crash, but the girl seemed oblivious to them now. Her blue eyes stared at the window next to the door. Martha sat in front of her.

"You want to talk to Torchwood?" She asked.

Joey stared at her, as if contemplating if she was trust worthy, "You've travelled. It's in your eyes. You've seen things that even UNIT can't even imagine. That they don't want to imagine."

Martha didn't know what to think of this. It wasn't the first time someone had said something similar to her, but how did this girl know that? "That wasn't what I asked."

The girl looked at her, "Yes. I want to talk to Torchwood." She pushed the paper across the table, "Give this to the head of Torchwood Three," After a moment, she added, "Please."

Martha looked down at the paper. Her link with the TARDIS was still strong. Any language that the girl could've written the note in should have translated for her, but this one didn't. Before her, lay a bunch of circles and lines. Gallifreyan.

She looked at her, "Gallifreyan?"

This caught the girl's attention, "You know what Gallifreyan is?" The girl's ice blue eyes snapped to Martha.

"Yes," She looked at the letters, "But I can't read it."

"Good," The girl said, satisfied.

"I have a friend who can though," Martha replied, "And the head of Torchwood isn't one of them."

The girl shrugged as if she didn't care, "Whatever you say." Then she looked at Martha as if she wanted to object. But she didn't, as if she remembered something.

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Martha sat in Jack's office. Her visit wasn't a secret or anything, but Jack was trying to make her comfortable, "So, to what do I owe this visit?" He asked.

"A few days ago a small shuttle crash landed near the Cardiff UNIT base. The pilot was human. She was injured and when asked her Identity, she claimed to be UNIT," Martha paused, "We questioned her, but then she requested Torchwood and wouldn't answer any more questions."

"Ok..." Jack started, "You could have called. Although, I do know that I am irresistibly charming and dashing." His eyes glittered with mischief.

Martha laughed, "It gets weirder. She writes this note and requests it to be given to the Head of Torchwood Three and I don't know about you, but I can still read all languages," Jack nodded and she continued, "But I can't read this. There's only one language the TARDIS doesn't translate." She handed him the note, "But the girl is certain that the head of Torchwood knows what it means."

Jack took the piece of paper from her, "That sure looks like Gallifreyan... But I can't read it."

"That's what I thought," Martha said.

A voice interrupted them from the door to Jack's office, "I can."

Jack looked up to see Astra standing there. She was holding a file in her hands. He nodded and smiled, "Of course you can. Martha, you remember Astra."

Martha nodded, "Of course. You can read Gallifreyan?" She asked curious.

Astra nodded, "Yes," She walked up to Jack's desk and he gave her the note. Martha watched as she read it. Astra's face showed obvious distress as she read it, "It's a distress note." She read it again, "Oh Rassilon!"

"What is it?" Jack asked, worried.

She ignored him though and looked straight at Martha, "Who wrote this?"

"A pilot who crash landed near the base. She requested that to be handed to the head of Torchwood."

"A girl?" Astra asked, obviously confused, "That's not possible," She stated.

"Why not?" Martha asked, "I spoke to her. She is definitely female."

"The message, it uses a codename. Boshane in distress. Urgent assistance required."

"Boshane?" Jack asked, the name having caught his attention.

Astra nodded, "Yes and Boshane is male. Joey is male!"

"Her name is Joey," Martha said, "Joey Grey."

Astra's face went pale as the name spilled out of Martha's lips. She closed her eyes to try and compose herself but instead she felt her knees go weak. She put both the file and paper on Jack's desk as she leaned there for support. She took a few moments, but shook her head, "No... This can't be happening." Only a few days ago, Ianto had found her in the morgue looking over Grey.

"Astra, what is it?" Martha asked.

Jack looked at his friend, "Astra?" She didn't respond to him, "Romi?" He tried again. This got him a strange look from Marta, but he ignored it.

"Ok... I'm from a different reality... This Joey must be from a separate reality. She... Must be..." Astra ran a hand over her face, then looked at the note again. The hand writing was so familiar. She shook her head. She sat down in the chair next to Martha, "I told you, when we found that Sycorax ship a few weeks back that in my world, UNIT were like the old Torchwood here, remember?" Jack nodded. Martha looked confused, "When things went really bad in UNIT, Joey recruited two friends to also work for Torchwood. Like double agents. The only female on that team was Chrissie, but she wouldn't use Joey's codename. I taught my team to write secret messages in Gallifreyan should trouble occur. UNIT couldn't decipher the language and I could always read it."

"So, this girl could be from a reality similar to yours," Jack started, "But is a female version of your Joey?"

"It can happen, but it's rare..." Astra stated.

Martha interrupted her, "I think I missed something. I thought you were from Australia? How do you know Gallifreyan?"

Astra looked at Martha, "Because I was born on Gallifrey."

Martha's eyes widened as big as saucers, "Ok... That I wasn't expecting..." Martha stated.

"You didn't know?" Jack asked.

"No..."

"Astra here is a Time Lord. She used to travel with the Doctor," Jack explained.

"Oh.. I thought that The Master was the only other..."

"Years and Years ago, I went to live in an alternate Universe. I'm the head of Torchwood Three there. I was never part of the Time War. I came here... It doesn't really matter... When the Doctor sealed the worlds he stopped my only way home," She looked towards Jack, "I want to meet this person who claims to be Joey.


	10. The Curious Case of Joey Grey 2

_A/N: Here's the next bit, there's no Janto action in this part, this storyline focuses more on Jack, Joey and Astra, but the next storyline will have some Janto. I promise! Anja.x ^_^_

**The Curious Case of Joey Grey 2**

Martha lead the two Torchwood Officers through the UNIT base towards the interrogation rooms. It was very clinical, unlike Torchwood, which was more of a mess.

"Colonel," Martha said to a man standing by the window, looking into one of the rooms.

"Doctor Jones," He replied, then looked at Jack, "Captain Harkness," His voice wasn't acid, but there was a definite distaste there. His eyes fell on Astra, "And this is?"

"Torchwood's technical and alien expert," Jack said, "Astra Lifrey."

"Colonel," She replied. Jack watched her carefully. Her eyes burned with a fire he couldn't identify, was it hatred? Her voice had sounded calm and cool, but he was certain her heard something else there.

"We'd like to speak to your prisoner," Jack said.

Colonel Uppington-Smythe motioned to the door, "She's all yours."

Jack lead Astra in and they sat in front of the girl, "Captain Jack Harness," Jack said, introducing himself to the girl, "Head of Torchwood Three. I hear you want to talk to me."

The girl stared at him, "No. You're not..." She stopped. A realisation came over her, "Oh my... It worked... I really did go through the void... I really did get to another reality..." Sadness overcame her, "Knowing my luck not the right one though..."

"The wall between realities is sealed..." Astra said.

"And you are?" The girl asked.

"Astra Lifrey."

The girl shrugged, "They might be now... But I left when the world was dying. When the stars started to disappear!" Martha took a deep breath on the other side of the window. She remembered all too well the mission to save the earth. The Doctor had saved them, "Wait... The walls are sealed... That means... I can't go home... I can't find her..."

"Find who?" Jack asked.

"My mother. The head of Torchwood Three... Romana Grey."

Astra's heart skipped a beat as her alias from the other world tumbled out of the girl's mouth. She wanted to call the girl a liar. To tell her to stop using Joey's name in vain, but something told her not to. Something about this girl told her that everything she said was true.

So she started slowly, "If what you say is true. What's your Torchwood ID and codename?"

The girl looked at Astra, "I never said anything about being Torchwood."

"But you are," She said, "A UNIT officer wouldn't ask for Torchwood otherwise."

The girl nodded, accepting Astra's rationalisation, "Torchwood Officer three-nine-eight-two. Assigned Under Cover inside UNIT. Codename Boshane."

Astra nodded and looked at the girl closely. She looked familiar. She looked like the woman that Grey had called his mother when she'd taken him to Boshane. Jack was looking at her too. His eyes were swimming between what was happening in the room and visions of his mother.

"Not possible..." Astra whispered, "It can't be..."

The girl was looking at both of them too. The one that called himself Jack looked like her father... But he was dead. The girl, she couldn't place. Not her face anyway, but there was something about her. Something familiar. Joey decided to try something.

She started to talk in a language that Jack didn't understand, but he'd heard it before. When he'd first met Romi. It had a musical quality to it and he watched as tears fell from Astra's eyes as she took over from were the girl had started. What ever they were saying was beautiful Jack thought.

"Mum..." The girl finally said, her voice a low, hoarse whisper as she tried to choke back a sob.

"Joey..." Astra replied, her voice also sounding like she was holding back from crying.

"You regenerated...." It was a fact, an observation, not a question, "You promised us only two days!"

"How long has it been?"

"Two years..." Joey replied, "Team's changed. Tosh and Suzie were killed about a year ago. Gwen joined us finally. Jake came down from London."

"Tosh and Suzie are dead? How?"

"Long story... Rose did well though... Can't believe Gwen left the job as top dog though..." Joey laughed sadly.

Jack watched them. This was Joey? He didn't really understand. He'd heard bits about her son, but she'd always been reluctant to talk about Joey, "How'd you get here?" Jack asked.

"When the stars started to go out we realised that the holes were opening again. We had a Chula fighter that Mickey, Sean and I had been modifying with Void Technology, like we did the TARDIS. UNIT stole my fighter by the way!"

"UNIT are the good guys here," Astra said, "Do you ever do anything you're told?" She asked.

Joey shrugged, "Don't know what you're talking about mum!"

"Oh yes you do!" Astra started, "Don't get involved with Aliens. Don't join Torchwood. Don't join UNIT and don't play with the void or the rift!"

"Well... Umm... Rose sanctioned the experiment."

"Don't throw this onto Rose. Now, how about the obvious?" Astra stated.

Jack laughed, "Yeah. I heard you were male!"

"Uh... That..." Joey started nervously, "Well... You know UNIT. Always testing things they shouldn't... Never listening to reason... They... Might have gotten their hands on a Transgenderal Morphus Device."

_(A Year and a half ago)_

"What in the name of all things holy is that thing?" Sean McGann cried out, looking at the latest arrival in their work room.

Chrissie stared at it from her work station before getting up to examine it closer. She walked around it carefully. Then looked up at Sean and shrugged, "No idea," She turned to Joey, "What about you?"

Joey looked up from his current project and came over to look at the odd looking piece of technology. At first glance it didn't seem familiar, "Document it as always. Rose will want to know about it-" He started, but stopped, a memory from years ago hitting him like a boulder hurtling from outer space, "Oh no..." Joey examined the odd device closer.

"He knows what it is!" Sean announced.

"You do?" Chrissie asked, looking for confirmation from their friend.

Joey nodded, "At least I think I do. I was like six when I saw it... But there should a record of it..."

"So?" Sean pressed on, "What is it?"

"From memory, it's a Transgenderal Morphus Device... I'd really prefer not to relive my last encounter with a TMD..."

"Transgenderal Morphus Device?" Chrisie asked, "And... Please tell me it doesn't do what I think it does?"

Sean was laughing, "Oh boy... Who the hell is going to volunteer for that testing?"

"No one," Joey announced, "We're going to get it to Rose!"

"Exactly what was your last encounter with one of these things?" Sean asked.

"Never mind!" Joey growled, "Just work!"

Chrissie laughed at them then returned to her work station for her notepad.

Astra looked at Joey, "UNIT has a TMD?"

"Not anymore!" The girl announced, "But we couldn't move it. They were on to us, so we had to work carefully and that meant not removing it."

Astra sighed, "Why didn't Rose and Owen or even UNIT in their infinitely non existent wisdom reuse it and fix their mistakes?"

"Oh... That... It kind of broke after they used it. We sabotaged it. I didn't think after the report that everyone gave on the machine that the Colonel would actually use it! Or that he hated me enough to make me be the guinea pig!"

Jack laughed and the both looked at him. Astra was scowling, "Sorry... But I haven't seen a TMD in... God, years..." He looked at Astra, "Where was that? Where John got caught in one?"

Astra laughed, "Oh yeah! That was... Umm... Meracutia Zete. And we had to break back into the facility to reuse it and change him back!"

"And we were calling him Joannie for months after that!" Jack recalled, still laughing, "By the way, what was your first encounter?" He asked looking back at the young woman across from him.

"Not you too!" Joey exclaimed.

Astra laughed, remembering fondly, "Oh that was bad... But it never got used on you then!"

"It nearly did!"

"So, what happened after the experiment?" Jack asked curious.

"I demanded to be released from duty for the afternoon and went to find Owen. Of course Suzie tried to shoot me thinking I was an intruder, but Sean and Chrissie showed up."

_"Besides for the obvious," Owen announced, "Genetically this girl is our Joey."_

"I was there!" Sean reminded him, "It was... He just started to change... And..." He looked wearily at the women in the room, "Grow..."

Toshiko slapped him in the chest, "Careful buster!"

"Sorry sorry! But he did!" Sean cried, "I mean-"

"Enough!" Rose put a stop to the argument which was without a doubt about to start, "Is there any chance of getting our hands on this machine so that we can reverse this?"

"Uhh, due to not being able to move it, we kind of sabotaged it..." Chrissie admitted, "It won't work anymore."

"Ok..." Rose thought, "What about plans for it and building our own? Between you three, Mickey, Suzie and Tosh we have to be able to put something together right?"

Suzie shrugged, "We can try I guess."

"Well, they did try... And nothing worked. We couldn't make anything remotely similar, all I got was bunch of serious electric shocks," Joey explained, "I kept Owen in business for months."

Jack sighed sadly, hearing about his old team members. Long dead all of them. To hear about them so alive and... Loyal... Suzie loyal, it seemed unbelievable to him. And Tosh, part of an argument? And no snide remark from Owen... They seemed so alive and yet so very different.

"And what did UNIT have to say about this?" Astra asked.

Joey scoffed, "They wanted to charge me for going AWOL," She laughed. There was a similar quality to it that she remembered, but it was more lady like now, "Look at us mum! You're younger then I am for heavens sake!"

Astra laughed, "Don't I know it..." She looked at Jack, "Have her released to Torchwood."

Jack nodded and started out of the room, but couldn't help overhearing them.

"He looks like my real dad!" Joey whispered.

Astra nodded, "I know he does Grey... Jack's also from the Boshane Peninsula..."

"Do you think..." Joey started.

Astra shrugged, "I..." She closed her eyes, "I..."

"You see things mum!"

"I need to talk to Jack first."

Jack turned back to look at the girl. She looked like his mother, when she'd been a young woman. Could it be possible that this girl, the child Romi had saved years before was his brother... He stepped out of the room and found Martha, "Martha. She is UNIT, from the alternate universe that Rose lives in and she's also Astra's family."

Martha looked to the Colonel who nodded, "Release her."

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Astra paced Jack's office, waiting for him to come in. Joey was downstairs with Martha and the rest of the team, comparing the two hubs and absolutely loving the idea of Myfawny. Astra remembered that he'd... She'd loved dinosaurs as a child.

Jack came in, "You wanted to talk to me?"

She nodded, "Yeah..."

"So..." Jack started after a few minutes of silence.

"Do you know what Xyorinagons are Jack?" She asked not looking at him.

"Only what you've told me. Uhh... Void beasts, and rather foul?"

She nodded, "They're one of the few creatures that can naturally travel the void without tearing a hole through space and time," She explained, "The can also bring people into the void. Their nests aren't actually in the void, but they're covered in void stuff. You've seen them before Jack. As a child."

"I'm not following Astra," He walked up to her and stood in front of her. She didn't look at him though.

"Years ago I met a small boy, Joey. But his name wasn't Joey then. It was Grey, Jack. He'd been taken by the Xyorinagons after his hand had slipped from his brother's and he couldn't keep up..." Tears pricked Jack's eyes, but she continued, "I searched for his family, but they never had a second son... and..." She was crying herself, "I should have told you back in the academy," She cried, turning away from him.

"Are you saying?" Jack managed, "Romana... What are you saying?" He was getting confused, but he was staring at her intently. When she didn't reply to him, he grabbed her shoulders and turned her to him roughly, "What are you saying?" He yelled, as he shook her.

Neither of them noticed the figure standing in the doorway to Jack's office until she was on top of them. The girl's fist collided with Jack's jaw and he released Astra as he stumbled backwards. She didn't stop there though. She pushed him backwards until he was backed up against his own desk, her fists curled through his blue shirt. He had to admit. The girl was strong, "Don't you ever touch my mother like that!" The girl cried.

"Grey!" Astra yelled at the girl, "Let him go!"

The girl's hands dropped to her sides as she backed away from Jack. Romana only ever called him... Her, Grey when he was in trouble, "But he-"

Astra shook her head and the girl stopped talking, "I deserve it."

"Grey... You called her Grey..." Jack started, "Romi.. I..."

Joey kept her stare intensely on Jack as a silent warning, but said nothing. The tension in the room was thick.

"Joey, wait downstairs," Astra ordered.

"But-" The girl objected.

"Now," Astra ordered.

Joey frowned at her, but nodded, "Fine," She shot a warning look at Jack. He didn't move though, his mind was reeling with everything that was being said. Astra shut the door after Joey left. She didn't turn back to Jack though.

"You're saying that... That girl is Grey..." Jack started. His voice was emotionless, hard, cold as steel, "And that you've known that Grey was safe since I mentioned him at the Academy?"

Astra nodded. His voice scared her. She'd never heard him like that and it was then that she knew, he could never forgive her for what she'd done. Hiding that knowledge from him.

"Why? Why would you hide that from me?" He asked, "If you're so good that you can tell that, just by looking at us, why the hell didn't you tell me all those years ago?" His voice was rising as he spoke. Jack didn't often yell in anger and never at her, "Why Romana?"

"I..." She took a deep breath, "Back then... You would never have believed me..." She said softly.

"You don't know that!" He yelled.

"What in the name of Rassilon did you want me to say Jack?" She cried as she spun around to him, "Boe, you know what, I'm actually from another reality and an alien to boot! I was travelling around in my space ship when I found a little boy. I think he's your brother! Oh, and I have no way to get home!" When she finished, her voice had risen to meet Jack's in volume and anger.

"What about now?" He asked her.

"Now? What did you want me to say now Jack? Sorry but the Grey that killed Toshiko isn't actually your brother? That your brother is in an alternate reality, with, one of your best friends and I've known this since I met you? Oh yeah, and The Doctor sealed the void so I still can't go home?"

"ANYTHING! You could have told me anything!"

She shook her head, "I searched for years for Grey's family! With him, without him. When ever I got the chance. Meeting you broke my heart in more ways then you could possibly imagine. After you told us bout Grey. I made a plan. I was going to find the Doctor, then come back for you. I was going to take you with me. Take you to him!"

Jack shook his head, "I can't believe that you... You of all people did this... You could have still told me... When you got your memories back..."

"I was coming to terms that I could never go home! That I would never see my son again!"

"MY BROTHER!" He yelled back at her.

For several moments neither of them spoke. The silence dragged on uncomfortably for both of them. Tension still filled the space between them. Jack's eyes showed nothing but anger, hatred and betrayal.

"Get out," He finally said.

She looked at him, horror covering her face, "Jack..."

"Get out," He repeated. He turned away from Astra. Not wanting to see her face.

She looked down to the ground. Took a deep breath then turned, she opened the door to his office and stepped out. Without turning back she closed the door behind her.


	11. The Curious Case of Joey Grey 3

_A/N: Ok… So I decided you were right. Some Janto time was definitely needed, so I added a few Jack Ianto scenes to this section. Hope you enjoy!_

**The Curious Case of Joey Grey 3**

Downstairs, they'd been busy comparing the two Torchwood's and UNIT's, but the voices from upstairs floated down to them. Gwen flinched, "I haven't heard him that angry in a long time..."

Ianto looked up to the office, "She's already hurting..." He looked back at the others, "This argument will destroy them both..."

Joey stared up, "I can't let him do this to her!" She started up, but Ianto stopped her.

"I'd like to think I know Astra well, but you probably know her better then any of us, but I do know Jack. He needs to get this out."

"But you said it yourself! He'll destroy her!" Joey argued.

"Yeah, but what Jack doesn't realise yet, is that he needs her..." Taye said.

Gwen shook her head in dismay, "Hold it," She said.

"What?" Martha asked.

"Listen... No yelling..." Gwen said.

They looked around. She was right. The hub was silent. The voices from Jack's office had stopped. Jack's door opened and Astra exited. She glanced down at them, they all turned away except for Joey. So she looked away instead. Joey watched as she made her way down the stairs. She didn't say anything as she approached her desk. Gwen half expected her to sit down, but instead she grabbed her bag and coat, then headed for the door.

"Mum!" Joey called after her.

"Astra!" Taye called.

She didn't turn back.

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Jack looked up at the door when he heard it close. He barely caught sight of her retreating form as she headed down to the main hub. He dragged himself over to the window and watched as she ignored the others and grabbed her stuff. When he heard the cog door open, he wanted to run down there and stop her from leaving, but he couldn't make himself do that.

His head was too full of hating her to care. She'd known. All those years, she'd known. Even now, she'd known and hidden it from him. He couldn't forgive her for that. He just couldn't. Of all the people in his life that he had trusted fully, she topped the list... And now this.

There was a knock on his door. He ignored it. Whoever it was wasn't going away though. They knocked again, "Come in," He called.

Ianto entered with a cup of coffee, "I thought you could use some coffee sir..."

"Thanks..." He looked at the coffee, "I just screwed up Ianto..."

Ianto nodded, "I know Sir..." Jack looked up at him, it wasn't like Ianto to admit something like that. Ianto felt the need to explain, "Astra's gone... With the ability to go anywhere in space and time... And Joey... Grey is coming up with ways to kill you."

"Like that would fix anything..." Jack muttered.

Ianto shrugged, "It's making her feel better and none of us have had the heart to tell her it won't make a difference," Ianto turned to leave, "Go after her Jack."

"I can't..."

Ianto just nodded, "I'll be downstairs if you need anything... Jack..."

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

It was late in the day and the rain clouds were moving in over the bay. Astra stared out over the bay. She barely felt the cold. She might of grabbed her jacket before she'd left, but it still hung loosely over her arm. She was numb all over. The bay looked as grey as she felt.

_...Grey..._

She'd heard Joey call for her as she'd left, but she hadn't been able to stay in the hub. She'd hurt Jack worse then anyone ever could. Worse then the Doctor when he'd abandoned Jack. She closed her eyes. A tear slid down her cheek as she tried to remember Jack happy, but the first thing that came to mind was the look on his face when she'd told him who Joey was... Betrayal... Hatred... He hated her.

The sky mimicked her mood. She was too numb to cry, so the sky did it for her. The rain started to pelt down on the pass. It hit the bay and disappeared into the water. It had started softly, but the rain picked up and within moments she was drenched. She turned away from the water. She have one last glance towards the water tower and the tourist shop, then walked away.

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

The hub was silent. Even Myfawny wasn't making a noise. She was up in her nest, hiding away from everything. Gwen sat at her desk, trying to find something to do. Taye had already cleaned the autopsy bay and was sitting at his desk. Martha was sitting at Ianto's, as he was busy up in the kitchen. Joey was slipped into Astra's desk. She looked at the things that she kept there. It was so different from her desk in the other reality... She sat there and watched the others. She'd never seen a group of people so down. She looked up to Jack's office. She knew she should go speak to him, but she couldn't bring herself to go up there and talk to him. For so long, the woman they called Astra had been the most important person in the world to her and he'd hurt her.

She got up and walked around. She'd worked with Torchwood for a long time and she wasn't used to the hub being so quiet. There was, at least in the other reality, always someone talking in the hub. They were different too. This Gwen and Ianto weren't the same as the people she was used too. She walked around, orientating herself with the less cluttered hub.

She walked past Taye's desk, he was busy with something on his computer. Joey stopped and picked up a photo by Taye's screen, "Your wife?" She asked.

Taye looked up and smiled, "Soon... We're engaged."

Joey smiled, "I've met her... She's nice..."

Taye looked at her strangely, "How? Weren't you held by UNIT?"

Joey nodded, "Yeah. She was the Doctor that took care of me... Umm... What did they say her name was?" She paused, "Doctor Veels?"

Taye nodded, "Yeah... Kim Veels..."

Their conversation had caught the attention of Gwen and Martha, who came over. Martha looked at Gwen and Taye like she wanted to say something. Finally Gwen asked, "Kim's with UNIT? Did you know?"

Taye shook his head, "No idea..."

"Oh... This should be interesting..." Martha mumbled, then looked at them, "I uhh... I had Kim transferred to UNIT after the last time I was here. I thought it would help, that you guys wouldn't go through the rough patch that Gwen and Rhys did..."

Taye shook his head, "I didn't know... I hadn't asked her about her reassignment..."

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Ianto looked down at Jack as he snuggled closer to him. Jack doesn't snuggle... Ianto thought to himself. They were down the hatch, under Jack's office.

"Ianto?" Jack asked, checking to see if his Welshman was still awake.

"Yes Jack?"

They'd been like this for nearly two hours. Everyone had gone home, but after running some errands, Ianto had come back to the hub to check on Jack. After Astra had left, he'd never gotten to speak to Joey, who as far as Ianto knew, she was still thinking up ways to kill Jack. They still hadn't told her yet that Jack couldn't die. Jack had been sitting at his desk, staring into space when he'd returned. Ianto had managed to convince him to go downstairs. They hadn't really said anything to each other, just sat together. Jack relished Ianto's company.

Jack sighed, "We got through Toshiko and Owen's deaths, we got over Suzie. I managed after Alex killed the entire team. I picked everything up after he left me to die... I dealt for years... Why?" He asked.

Ianto looked at him, "Why what Jack?"

"Why does her walking away hurt so much?"

Ianto shrugged to himself, "I don't know Jack, but I can poke a guess... You are so rare... In age, knowledge, experience and in so many other ways. She was so much like you. She had the years of life and the knowledge of Time and Space that you do. Also, she, like you, devoted her life to Torchwood. Even when she had no idea who she was..." Jack was nodding, whether because he agreed or for some other reason, Ianto wasn't sure, "It also doesn't hurt that she was your best friend from before you met any of us."

Jack sighed, "I guess..."

"Jack, she'd kick your ass for this, you know that right?"

Jack looked up at him. That was the second time in one day that Ianto had spoken so bluntly to him "What?"

"This isn't you. And I doubt this was you when you were younger. Astra... Romi, she knows you."

Jack kissed Ianto, "You're right."

Ianto smiled when Jack kissed him, "Now that I like..." He whispered in Jack's ear.

Jack grinned, his award winning seductive smile, "Really now?" He whispered back, then kissed Ianto again.

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

The next day was just as bleak as the day before. Jack refused to come out of his office. Gwen, Ianto and Taye tried to work, but all through the day, they kept looking towards Astra's empty desk. She hadn't come in.

Taye looked at the others, "I called her during the night..."

"And?" Gwen asked.

"Nothing. She didn't pick up at home or her cell..."

Ianto shook his head, "I tried to talk to Jack again.... He's barely responding."

"Where's Joey in all this?" Gwen asked.

"She left a little before I did..." Ianto said, "She was contemplating what to do about Jack... And she's worried about Asta..."

"We all are..." Taye said.

Gwen shook her head, "Jack isn't."

"Hey, did you talk to Kim?" Ianto asked.

Taye shook his, "Wasn't sure how to bring up UNIT..."

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

The bar was just as she remembered it. Full of cadets, eager to be out of class, though they were no longer Time Academy Cadets… Perhaps this wasn't the best place in the universe to be, but it wasn't near Jack and that was good enough for her right now. Except everywhere she looked she would remember something from being there with Jack.

Sighing she strode over to the bar. A familiar figure sat there. Astra sighed. She really didn't want to see him right now. She started to turn away, wondering how in Rassilon's name he would know to find her there?

He looked up, "Astra," He called to her.

She stopped and sighed. She took a deep breath and turned back to him, "What are you doing here?"

He patted the seat beside him, then waited till she sat, "I just happened to be in the area."

She scoffed, "Yeah, right. In all of time and space you happen to be in the one bar I walk into."

He looked at her, "But I think he question is, what are you doing here?"

She looked away from him, "Bernie!" The barman looked at her, "House special." The barman nodded and got to it.

Astra's unwanted companion stared at her, but she wouldn't look at him. He waited till after the barman delivered her drink till he spoke again, "You never answered my question."

"It's the best bar that I know."

"Yeah, you're going to leave Cardiff just to find a better drinking hole. I'm not a fool."

"I believe the term I use, is Old Coot."

He laughed, "Yes, I believe you're right..." He looked at her carefully.

"What are you doing here? Really?" She asked him.

"The TARDIS set a course for here herself. You know how temperamental she gets and I was walking around, looking at this place, trying to imagine you putting up with these people and I remembered the bar from when we picked up your TARDIS. Now, to run this far away it has to do with Jack right?"

Astra sighed, then took her drink in one go, "I don't want to talk about it," She put the glass down and moved to get up.

Her companion reached out and grabbed her arm, "You left. Why?"

She didn't face him, "I screwed up big Doctor... And Jack will never forgive me for what I did."

The Doctor looked at her, "What could you have possibly done that was so bad?"

She shook her head, "I..." She turned and left the bar. The Doctor sighed. He put a few credits down on the bar and followed her out.

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Jack ran his hands over his face. Yesterday had been a disaster. After the mess that he'd made with Astra, he'd never gotten to speak with Grey.

_... Grey... Joey... His... Her name is Joey..._

He'd heard the others come in. Three times the cog door had opened, unless two had come in together, Astra wasn't there. He didn't even need to look to know that. He'd pushed her away and now she was gone. With a working Vortex Manipulator she could go anywhere in the universe...

Jack sighed. He couldn't make things right with her, but he could try with Joey. He got up and grabbed is coat. He headed out. He knew the others were watching him. Wanting to know what was going on. Wanting him to get _her_ back... But he couldn't. He could do a lot of things, but he had no idea where Astra was.

"Ianto?" Jack asked as he made his way down.

"Yes Sir?"

"Where's Joey staying?" He asked.

Ianto looked uneasily at the others. Gwen nodded to him, "I gave her the key to Astra's place... I didn't think Astra would mind..."

Jack nodded, then left without another word. Taye looked at the others. They knew Jack far better then he did, "What the hell was that?"

"Jack probably making things worse..." Gwen said.

"Maybe he's trying to make it better," Ianto said.

Gwen shrugged, "How?" She looked at the other two, "Do you really think Joey is going to talk him after what happened yesterday? I mean, I know that she's Grey... But from what I understand, Astra was her mother and Jack tore the shreds out of her. It's not the best first impression that can be made after... Well, how long has it been?"

"Grey was six..." Ianto said.

"Well, so about twenty years for Grey. Twenty years of living with Astra, not Jack. And Joey was just a little kid..."

"The attachment that would have been formed at that age would be strong," Taye added, "Particularly depending on how they met."

"Jack's really messed it up this time..." Ianto muttered.

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Joey walked around the apartment uncomfortably. Astra was a different person then her mother. She was younger, she had a real University degree... Joey looked at the photos on the wall. There were a lot of Astra and Jack... Joey sighed. They were friends... Close friends... There was a knock at the door. Joey ignored it. This wasn't her home.

"Joey?" The voice called.

That startled her. The only ones that knew she was there were the Torchwood people. That voice though. It wasn't Ianto or Taye. Defiantly not Gwen. That meant it was Jack. Joey sighed. She was so tempted to just ignore him. But for her entire life she'd wanted to know her real family. She'd even thought for a while that she'd imagined them, but Romana had assured her otherwise.

_... Mum?... Where are you?..._

Jack knocked again, "Joey please."

She looked at the door, sighing she went and opened it. She stared at the man standing in the hallway. He looked like their father, "What do you want?" She asked.

"I was hoping we could talk..." Jack said.

Joey shrugged, but moved aside, allowing him in. Jack walked in and looked around. The apartment was as he remembered. Last time he'd been there though, he had waltzed in as if he owned the place, now he was standing there, feeling like an intruder.

"So..." Joey said, "Talk..."

Jack hesitated. Where did he start? He wanted so desperately to get to know Joey, but was that possible after yesterday? "I... Grey... You know I don't actually know what to say."

"Mum's the only one that calls me Grey..."

Jack looked hurt, "Oh... I..."

"I don't know what to say to you..." Joey said, "I look around here and I see how much mum cares about you... And I think of yesterday when you just turned her away... You don't know her the way I do... She was hurt... Really hurt..."

Jack nodded, "I know..." He was hit with a memory from a few weeks earlier. Him and Astra sitting on the couch, she was telling him abut her team... About Joey...

_"... They had a little human boy in their midst, he couldn't of been more then six at the time... I managed to get him to the TARDIS, but I was struck from behind by one of the Xyorinagon's. I was badly injured, enough to regenerate and the boy saw it, he was so scared, but... Do you know that in the first fifteen hours after regeneration, any and all injuries are healed, much like with you..."_

"God, I'm such a fool..." Jack said, "She told me how you met..."

Joey looked at him, "She did?"

"We were here... And she told me... God... She died for you and I just..." Jack looked at Joey, "Tell me what happened... What you saw..."

Joey looked out the widow, "I woke up in this weird place... It was horrible... But... I don't know where it came from but this ship appeared... I don't really know what it looked like... But this woman came out and she spotted me among them. I don't remember ever meeting anyone more brave then her..."


End file.
